Silent Heartbeat
by Phoenix of Starlight
Summary: Hibari apparently bit the wrong person to death! A curse is placed on him that will torture him for years... a curse in which he experiences intense emotions such as pain, loneliness, fear, happiness, sympathy, and, worst of all... love. D18.
1. Prologue

Pairing/Characters: Hibari-Dino Plot: Hibari apparently bit the wrong person to death! A curse is placed on him that will torture him for years... a curse in which he experiences intense emotions such as pain, loneliness, fear, happiness, sympathy, and, worst of all... love.  
>Rating: T Genre: Romance, HurtComfort Style: 10+ Chapters, Third Person Limited- Hibari Kyoya Title: Silent Heartbeat Word Limit: 20,000

Yeah, the Phoenix is starting ANOTHER story! But no worries, everyone~! I can still manage weekly uploads on my three other pride-and-joys, as well as this new fic which I JUST came up with MINUTES AGO!

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><p>Sighing quietly, Hibari left the roof to walk back to the Reception Room. Being himself, he didn't believe in any 'curse' that was supposedly cast upon him; why should he, when such things didn't exist?<p>

He was a strong, convicted man, and valued his own opinion above all others. He had hair as black as a raven's, his skin was pale, his eyes were dark gray stones in milky lakes. He wasn't an unattractive man, in fact, some called him beautiful. But only those who didn't know him, since he wasn't exactly a nice man. And one might say he had... well... a bit of an ego.

His footfalls were the only sounds that rang through the pale halls. His coat flowed gracefully behind him as he walked, and his sharp, hawk-like eyes darted about the area, watching for any and every little detail. He was a simple man, Hibari Kyoya was. He lived by his motto 'eternally alone and only rising,' and, as such, refused to allow anything that could possibly hinder him into his life. If something was getting in his way, he would personally deal with it to make sure it didn't bother him again, ever.

In short, Hibari Kyoya hated people.

Not just a particular group of people, either. Hibari Kyoya hated every single being who ever dared to enter his life. For example, Rokudo Mukuro, his rival. This man had stepped into his life one day in the form of a person attacking his school. Hibari had ATTEMPTED to deal out punishment quickly; however, due to certain circumstances, things got complex, and this attacker lives on. But he is, of course, very much so hated by the aforementioned Hibari Kyoya.

Now today was a rather typical day thus far, excluding the unusual antics of today's victim. This girl had refused to obey a single rule in the book, so mister head prefect had some biting to deal out. Naturally, she was a strange case, and she ended up saying her last words with a grin plastered to her face, just like any maniac.

"You just wait, Hibari Kyoya," she had said, "I have cursed you... now you will feel... hehehe~! Hehehe, ahahahahaaa!"

And so, Hibari was 'cursed.'

However, as mentioned, Hibari Kyoya was a simple man, and he was also highly skeptical of such strange notions as 'ghosts,' or 'curses.' Even a haunted house would just make him snort in contempt. It was only habit to brush off the threat of a curse like he would a fly. But little did the prefect know that nothing about this was to be scoffed at. Everything was one hundred percent real.

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><p>It had been seven days- a full week- after the curse of Hibari Kyoya. The ravenette was taking his afternoon nap on the roof. It was a sunny, clear day, and there were hardly any clouds about except for Hibari himself. The entire week had been akin to this day- peaceful, easy, and also rather uneventful. Strangely enough, everyone had been in line for a while, and all it was doing was getting on Hibari's nerves.<p>

Hibari's title wasn't for nothing, after all. This demon of Namimori was usually entertained by the biting to death of weak people, but unfortunately, if no one was breaking the rules, or otherwise annoying him, he just couldn't decide who to beat on.

It was on this day that the prefect began to feel something. A sort of longing. A strange feeling that worsened his mood further. It made him feel bad, somehow, that there wasn't anyone around. Could it be that the man was feeling a tad... lonely?

No.

That was impossible.

Hibari stood, then headed off to patrol the halls, figuring he'd go go seek out a playmate himself.

"Kusakabe," he said, coming up to his second-in-command. "You are relieved of patrol for a while; I'm going to take care of it."

"Yes, sir," the other replied, giving a small salute and walking away.

Just short of a moment, Hibari was tempted to call his right hand back and request to patrol with him; of course, he was quickly disgusted by that idea, and brushed it off. He could handle patrolling on his own! What, was he five?

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><p>Hibari crossed every path, entered every hallway, searched every corner for a lingering student to pummel. But, to his slight disappointment, any and every student was in their class, awake or otherwise.<p>

Clicking his tongue with dissatisfaction, Hibari returned to the Reception Room, his usual hangout. His room belonged to the Disciplinary Committee in general, but he was the only one in there most of the time. The Reception Room was a pleasant, quiet place. A place where this ravenette would sometimes find his much-needed solitude. However, today in particular, the solitude wasn't a relieving sensation when he entered his room.

Hibari unconciously began to sulk. He wanted human company, and he couldn't find any- which, to him, was very irksome. People were always around when he wanted nothing to do with them, after all, so why was it that everyone was avoiding him now? What had he done wrong?

The prefect took out his cell phone as he sat down on the couch. 'I'll give you my cell number,' the words echoed, 'so call me whenever, Kyoya~.' Dino Cavallone. The single man who had gotten closer to Hibari Kyoya than any other, even though he was still treated the same. Hibari didn't THINK he liked Dino, nor did he THINK that calling him would cheer him up. But, for the sake of ignoring reason, Hibari was fast to dial.

("... Hello?")

"Bronco," Hibari greeted shortly, swinging one leg over his other as he spoke.

("Kyoya?")

"I need to talk to you," the prefect said, "A fight would be best."

("Well, I don't know, Kyoya, I'm a little busy today.")

"With what?" Hibari asked, drumming his fingers impatiently against his leg.

("Work and stuff... I guess.")

"Work and stuff, you guess," Hibari repeated flatly. "I don't care. We need to talk, face-to-face."

("Man, Kyoya, I just got back in Italy three days ago, and I need to get my family in order. Can't it wait?")

The prefect took a moment to wonder that himself, before deciding, "No." His answer was met with a heavy, reluctant sigh, and the prefect officially wanted company, and that alone. The urge had swollen like a bug bite that he needed desperately to scratch. "Dino," Hibari said, "Please."

("... All right, Kyoya. It'll take me a while to get there, though. For now, how about you talk to Tsuna, or Reborn?")

"The baby...?" Hibari wondered aloud, "Where would he be?"

("I don't know, look around. He's always hiding somewhere.")

"... Fine," Hibari muttered. He'd personally had quite enough 'looking around' for one day, if he should say so himself. However, Kyoya didn't have any time to voice his opinion on the matter anyway, because a couple beeps through the phone alerted him to a waiting call. "I've got to go. But I better see you soon."

("Hehe. See you, Kyoya.")

Hibari answered the other call. "Hello?"

("Kyoya, it's your father.")

Hibari felt an unusual spike of fear run through him, and his hand trembled. "Yes, father?" he said in a quieter voice.

("Did you do what I asked of you the last time we talked?")

'What was that again?' Hibari wondered to himself, 'What did he... oh.' "No, father," he murmured.

("Kyoya, how many times do I have to ask before you settle down and get yourself a damned girlfriend?")

"Father, it's not that easy...," Hibari muttered, starting to get nervous as the man's temper rose.

("Why the hell is that? You're a handsome young man, the only reason a girl wouldn't go out with you is if you didn't ask!")

It looked like Hibari was caught red-handed. "No girls here really intrest me," the prefect tried to explain, but he was almost cut off.

("Damn, Kyoya, it's NOT about 'intrest.' It's about the natural order, now you better have SOMEONE by time I make my next call!")

With that, the man hung up, and Hibari silently closed his phone, feeling guilty and angry at his father at the same time. He didn't think it was even possible for him to fall in love. What was his place in this so called 'natural order?' Hibari didn't think one existed. His father was always misunderstanding his comments and explanations, so it seemed like he'd never have a chance for a much-needed heart-to-heart conversation with the aforementioned man.

Hibari Kyoya was a complex man. He had to struggle to keep his family happy with him, and at the same time, he was antisocial and dispised other people. However, his father being much stronger than him, the prefect never really had the chance to stand up against him. He enjoyed the company of the small animals that obeyed him, but was repulsed by humans who bowed down to him, as they were only showing their weakness, which was another thing that the man loathed. Hibari had steel walls of pride and dignity built around him, so thick that no one could penetrate them.

At least, not until he was cursed.

-End Prologue

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><p>Okay, and that's the introduction. Who likes? GIMME SOME REVIEWS SO I KNOW~<p> 


	2. Chapter One: Fearful Night

Silent Heartbeat Chapter One- Fearful Night

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><p>Hibari Kyoya shuddered and held his jacket around him tightly as he walked down the streets of Namimori. Aside from the street lamps, there wasn't any light, and aside from the jacket, there was no warmth. An unsteady breeze swept through the streets, blowing the prefect's hair as it wove around his body. The winds slowed, and the prefect continued, occassionally looking over his shoulder. It was an eerie feeling, walking alone in the dark streets, the only sound being the gentle roar of the wind, along with the steady rhythm of footfalls against concrete. Hibari then made a turn into an alley, his gray eyes gleaming silver for a moment as he walked out of the dim, flickering street lights and into the dark, dusty path.<p>

He slowed to a stop beside a trash can, then knelt down and placed a bag onto the ground. He opened it, and, almost immediately, a dark gray cat slunk out from beneath the dumpster with full intentions of eating the small plate of sushi before any other strays happened to find it.

Smiling for a moment, Hibari continued to pass through the narrow space until he came out at another street- his street. A few houses to the right, and he was home. A small chill ran up his spine as he looked at his place, so familiar, yet so foreign at the same time.

The place didn't seem welcoming to anyone, not even Hibari himself. A window was shattered, curtains torn, the occassional hole in the roof or wall, it was a clearly worn down place. However, the Hibaris had been residents there for no more than a year. No one was really to blame, though. Sure, Raiden and Isamu, Kyoya's younger twin brothers, would occassionally break something or go on mini rampages which they took out on their older brother, which would certainly mess the house up a little, but the whole family contributed to the battered place they called home. "I'm home," Hibari muttered, walking inside.

"You're late," said his mother, arms folded. "Do I have to call your father for this?"

"No, it won't happen again," he replied. "Are Raiden and Isamu home?"

"Of course, they're in bed."

"Ah."

There was a pause, before Kyoya asked, "Have I missed dinner?"

"It's cold. In the kitchen."

"Yes, mother," Hibari said, giving a short bow, before he headed into the kitchen to eat. He sat down at the battered table, and sighed at the cold bowl of miso soup. His life at home felt really dull, especially when his brothers were already asleep. After all, even the demon prefect of Namimori had fun wrestling with his brothers.

It was then that luck blessed Kyoya, when Raiden walked in to get a glass of milk. And, as always, Isamu was with him. The two were only a head shorter than Kyoya, and they shared his raven-colored hair, but had light blue eyes instead of gray. The two were identical, except for the red ribbon tied in Raiden's hair, and the blue ribbon in Isamu's. "Oh, Kyo-nii," Isamu greeted quietly, "Welcome home."

"Thanks," Kyoya returned, before swallowing a mouthful of the soup. "Have a nice day? Kill anyone for me?"

"Nope," the two said in sync. They got their milk and walked back to the table, then sat down on the opposite side of their older brother.

"So tell us about your day," they requested. Hibari smirked, a slight fluttering going off in his heart as he heard their words. How great it was to be respected. But then, Hibari realized that he didn't have any stories to tell his brothers.

"Sorry, don't have anything of intrest," he muttered, "wanna fight?"

The two both perked up immediately, and answered, "Yes!"

"Raiden! Isamu! I knew it. Get back to bed right away," scolded their mother. The twins immediately leapt up and ran back to their room, where Kyoya would join them later. "Kyoya, you too," the woman said, "It's late. Get to bed."

The prefect nodded, then headed into his brothers' bedroom. After all, on days when he wasn't worn out or had a bad day, he felt refreshed to talk to the twins, who knew him better than his own parents.

"All right, you boys ready?" Hibari asked, wielding his tonfas.

Here's where one may intervene to say 'why the hell would the eldest who clearly loves his brothers use weapons to fight them?' Well, Hibari Kyoya did NOT love his brothers, as far as he believed. Raiden and Isamu were both approximately half Kyoya's strength, so fighting them together was like fighting himself. And that was fun, in his mind. Of course, they didn't care about the tonfas.

It was THEIR idea!

However, for the sake of the worried reader, I will add that this wasn't a very rough scuffle. They had to be very quiet, since catching Mrs. Hibari's attention now would be like falling down a mountainside when you had almost climbed back up to its summit.

Moments later, Isamu sat on the bed, rubbing his arm. "Kyo-nii, that last hit hurt," he mumbled. Raiden knelt down beside his brother.

"Let me see," he murmured. Putting his tonfas away, Hibari watched as Isamu pulled up his sleeve, and Raiden touched the small red mark with gentle fingers, whispering something to his brother, who nodded with a wince. The prefect gave a little snort at the action. He hadn't noticed quite how intimate they were before, but he was starting to pick up on it. The way they looked into each other's eyes, the way they cared so deeply when the other was in pain, something amplified the longing in Kyoya's heart. He sat down beside the two, and held out his hand.

"Isamu, show me where it... hurts," he said. Isamu shook his head, his eyes closed.

"It's okay, Kyo-nii... it's not that bad," he replied, before shining those icy orbs at the prefect once more as he said, "You don't have to pretend you care about me, Kyo-nii."

The man stood back up. "You're right, I suppose I don't," he muttered. "Good night, you two."

"Night, Kyo-nii," Raiden and Isamu said in unison as Hibari walked out of their room. The prefect headed back into his own, private room, went straight over to the bed, and slid under the covers, shuddering at the breeze his shattered window let in. Strips of black curtain blew about the room as the winds varied, and Hibari used his jacket as extra cover.

His father had broken the window about eight months ago. Hibari was sixteen then, and he knew even then that his father would react poorly to a particular suggestion involving the prefect's possible sexuality. Since he'd observed that he wasn't intrested in girls at all, Kyoya was starting to think that he was what people referred to as 'gay.' However, upon mentioning this to his father, he discovered that the entire subject was a landmine just waiting for him to touch it. Enraged and incredulous at his son, the man had taken a firstful of pure venom and used his pent up energy to punch right through the window.

What a silly notion; however, when it was almost inevitable that the prefect wouldn't find anyone, girl or not, to date anytime soon. Mainly because Kyoya didn't have any intrest in any girls (nor most guys, for that matter), and so he never had a real chance at getting into a serious romantic situation, not ever. But it wasn't like he wanted to in the first place.

Or did he?

While the ravenette stared up at the ceiling, he was starting to form an image in his mind. An image of what it would be like when Dino Cavallone came to his school. Hibari would give him a short greeting, and say 'welcome back.' Dino would smile that goofy smile of his, and chuckle, then say 'I missed you, Kyoya.'

The mere idea made the prefect's lips twitch into a smirk for a moment. But then, he thought of his father, telling him to get a GIRLFRIEND, and he frowned. If he didn't obey his father within the given time, he'd probably have to face severe consequences. He usually did when he didn't obey the man.

Hibari yawned, and turned on to his side, curling up slightly and closing his eyes. Thinking about all of that had made him even more tired. As another chill swept over him, Hibari started to drift off into the world where everyone is vulnerable.

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><p>"Hey, Bronco," Hibari greeted to the blonde. "Welcome back to hell."<p>

"Hehe, don't get so high and mighty, Kyoya, I'm no weaker than last time you fought me," Dino replied, his hazel-colored gaze locked with Hibari's. "But is a fight all you want today?" he whispered. The prefect thought for a moment, then uncertainly walked closer, until he was only a breath's distance from Cavallone.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Dino grinned widely, everything seemed slow motion as the ravenette was taken into his arms, brought so close that their bodies brushed together, and then-

*Gasp!*

He woke up.

Hibari sat upright, his face flushed from the... strange dream, and he reached a hand up almost unconciously and brushed it over his lips. Something felt very, very wrong. Hibari fanned himself off for a moment using his arm band, and muttered, "That better not happen again." His biggest concern was that this dream was a sort of unconcious fantasy- which would mean that he liked Dino more than he thought, which would inevitably turn out to him becoming an outcast in the family.

But no, none of that could've been.  
>He hated Dino.<br>He didn't want to... get involved... with Dino.  
>And he didn't want to... well... do anything of the sort with him.<br>None of it was true.  
>It was like those insane, wierd dreams that don't make any sense, so they're simply brushed off and forgotten.<p>

Of course, Hibari had a dreadful feeling that this particular dream would haunt him for a while.

Still feeling disheveled, Hibari reached over to the nightstand to turn off his alarm clock, as he was already awake, and would probably break it if he heard it go off in ten minutes. However, he had moved too quickly, and accidentally cut himself against a shard of glass- those were all over the place. He bit his lip, drawing his fingers back, and his eyes suddenly began to water. That little spike of pain, that now gave a slight throbbing as it leaked out a drop of blood, was more intense than any other small cut, stab or broken arm that had been inflicted upon him. Almost as an instinct, the prefect brought his finger to his lips and licked up the ruby liquid, grunting with the pain of it. What was that all about, anyway? Hibari, more carefully this time, moved to turn off his alarm clock, and this time managed to do so without further bloodshed.

A while later, he had bandaged the small cut, and thought to himself...

'Am I already growing weaker?'

-End Chapter

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><p>Okay, it looks like some people will be really liking this! I know I do~! XD It's been suggested that I aim for my first 100,000 (or more) word fanfiction! If anyone else is up to the goal... I'll need reviews to accomplish that! :cD<p> 


	3. Chapter Two: Torn Heart

Silent Heartbeat Chapter Two- Torn Heart

Hibari glanced at the small piece of cloth around his finger, and sighed, walking further into the school. He felt bad about something. Perhaps it was that annoying feeling he'd had the yesterday, or maybe it was something new, that originated from that morning's shoot of pain.

It wasn't easy being Hibari Kyoya on that day. He was in a bad mood, frustrated, and a little sore, and the inaudible chatterings of invisible students made his heart sink. At least if there were someone around, he'd get annoyed and feel his usual self again. But unfortunately, no one was lingering about to make him feel himself.

No one other than Dino Cavallone.

As the prefect headed for the Reception Room, he was starting to have an uneasy feeling. There was an energy in the air, but he didn't identify it, nor did he recognize it even as a presence. He thought it was simply another weird sort of instinct that he had. Another stupid flash of humanity.

Hibari was getting excessively agitated with himself. Whatever it was, a phase, or the effect of a strange gas he'd somehow inhaled, he wanted it to stop, because he was starting to feel out of order, and funny inside. There was a build up of warmth inside him, a sort of rounded sweetness. Something like a soul. And the ravenette didn't appreciate its presence one bit.

"Kyoya!"

Hibari whirled around on the spot, his eyes blazing as he heard the sound, and the familiar voice from none other than a man who had followed him for way too long now. The prefect was particularly angered by his failure to trust his inner voice, but he quickly brushed it off and lowered his weapons.

"Bronco," he greeted. Dino smiled widely.

"What's with that face? Didn't you notice me before I called?" he teased, walking up close, placing a hand on the prefect's shoulder.

'Welcome back,' Hibari's subconcious said so quietly that Hibari himself didn't hear.

Of course, his eyebrows heard, and allowed him a twitch, but Dino took it the wrong way, as any friendly man would. "Aw, what, yesterday you wanted to see me, and now you don't?"

'That's not it.'

Hibari shook his head, and his fingers quivered as he got the urge to reach for Dino. Of course, Hibari Kyoya was a man of pride- such acts of friendliness, now matter how small they were, would not be tolerated. If anything, Dino would have to make the approach for Hibari to give the response. But, after mulling these things over for a bit, Hibari finally noticed the confusion in Dino's hazel eyes. Giving a brief sigh, Hibari headed over to the Reception Room and opened the door, glanced back at his guest, and strode inside with a 'follow me' sort of nod.

Once the doors were locked, leaving Hibari alone with the man he'd dreamed of, the prefect spoke. "Bronco," Hibari began, "... sit."

Dino, easily inspired with curiosity, sat down, weaved his fingers together and rested them on the knees. "Yes, Kyoya?" he asked, looking straight into the prefect's eyes- or rather, straight into his heart.

"I have a question," the ravenette began, wanting to ask an important question, before chickening out and asking, "Will you fight me?"

Dino reached over, and placed his hand over Hibari's. "Shh," he hushed, his voice soft and soothing, "What do you REALLY want to ask me?"

Hibari looked down. "My father wants me to get a girlfriend," he muttered, "And I honestly don't know how."

"I'll help," Dino murmured, still trying to look into the prefect's gray eyes. Hibari, though he felt nervous, looked up and into the Bronco's stare, and his heart seemed to weave itself into a knot as he allowed the gaze to affect him. It was like that warm, amber-brown color was melting a block of ice inside of him, and he hoped desperately that it wasn't his pride.

His heart giving a small, sorrowful throbbing, Hibari said, "Just tell me how. I have to manage it before he calls again."

"... Hm... Well, here's where I would say that Tsuna has a lot of girls you could check out," Dino replied, retracting his hand from the ravenette's as he thought. Hibari leaned forward a little as the blonde pulled back, The throbbing feeling in his chest amplified by Dino's recoil. The prefect began to go into a thought as Dino continued to talk.

Hibari was confused.

At himself, for the most part, as all of these wierd feelings had suddenly began, and now he couldn't shake them. This one in particular affected him more than the others. It was a sort of longing, and it constantly pulled on him like a dog against its leash, making his body lean in the direction of said longing. His body and his mind were contradicting each other, making Hibari more confused, more irritated, than ever before. As he turned his eyes to look outside, he let out a gentle sigh, and muttered, "Nevermind, Dino... I don't need a girlfriend."

"Then... what are you going to do about your father?" the blonde asked, not the least bit upset at being interrupted mid-sentence.

"Nothing," the other replied simply, "Can we fight now?"

Dino heaved a sigh of defeat, and mumbled, "I guess," with a falling tone that alerted Kyoya to his reluctance.

"... Can we go to the roof, then?" the prefect asked, his voice a little quiet.

"Mm hm."

Hibari stood, and was glad to be followed by the Italian man, his tonfas held beneath his jacket. The moment was nice, and rather peaceful, but suddenly-

"Wah!"

Dino made one of his typical stumbles, and managed to bring Hibari down with him. The prefect gave a grunt of suprise as Dino's arms draped around him and locked into an embrace that sent him to the ground. "Nng- Dino-," Hibari choked, trying to sit up, when his body was paralyzed by something greater than the shock of the abrupt transition from standing, to floor; because as he moved, he brushed against Dino Cavallone's body. His back had arched straight into the whip-user's chest, and those powerful arms were still locked around his body, making Hibari not unlike a bird in a cage. A caged skylark, to be exact. Even so, the feeling of being so close to Dino made Hibari's heart race with excitement.

"I'm sorry, Kyoya," Dino apologized, pulling the prefect up as he stood. Hibari, breathless, could hardly manage his reply.

"It's okay..."

"Are you all right, though? You look pale," Dino murmured, placing a hand on Hibari's cheek. Blood rushed the prefect's face, and he turned around and started to walk back for the door.

"No tripping during our fight. Get one of your subordinates," he ordered. Dino, though mildly offended, got out his cell phone to call Romario over.

As Dino was calling, Hibari mentally scolded himself.

'What the hell was all that?' he wondered, 'Is that dream affecting me more than I thought?' Hibari was going through what the girl's would all call 'denile.' He couldn't stop thinking about how Dino, though not purposely, had held him in his arms in a backwards embrace like that, and hell, the man was ON TOP of him! He could still feel the blonde's warmth against his skin, and it made him shudder with uneasiness. But at the same time, everything seemed wrong, somehow. Dino, and his entire being, everything about him was completely masculine, from the warmth of his smile, to the tattoo that ran from his neck to his knuckles. His full essence didn't have a drop of femininity in it! And whatever it was this prefect was feeling for Dino, he knew it simply could not be love.

After all, his father had made sure that Hibari knew that he was not gay.

The world felt upside down, with all these jolts of emotion, the electrical charges of excitement, the rushes of longing, and the rolling waves of sorrow. Confusing and bold, the odd sensations never retreated; they'd come so fast, and they refused to turn back to where they came from.

"Okay, Kyoya, Romario will be here in about ten minutes. Are we going to wait?"  
>"Yeah. On the roof," Hibari said. Usually, it wouldn't matter to Hibari whether Dino was getting his ass handed to him, or if the Bronco was holding up well, but today, he wanted what he never wanted before: a fair, clean fight.<p>

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><p>To Kyoya's satisfaction, Romario arrived within the time given, and hung around Kusakabe by the stairs that led to and from the roof. The prefect equipped his tonfas, and smirked as Dino laughed lightly, whip ready. "All right, Kyoya. Here goes!"<p>

"I'll bite you to death," the prefect hissed, running towards the man with one tonfa poised to strike as the other blocked Dino's impending lash with his whip. The prefect barely evaded the the whip, but, to his frustration, Dino easily avoided his attack as well. The Bronco, weaving himself behind the prefect, made a smooth, swift attack that hit the ravenette, and Hibari yelped, falling to his knees. The sudden burn of pain from the attack had sent him down immediately, and Hibari sorely rubbed his back. "What the hell was that, Bronco?" Hibari asked, glaring over his shoulder. Dino walked over and knelt down beside Hibari.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his expression showing how sorry he was. "I'm really sorry, did I hit a nerve, or something?"

"You hit something," Hibari growled. "Ahhh... what, did you poison your whip?"

"No," Dino said, starting to look more concerned, "Seriously, what's wrong?" Hibari shook his head, but the movement immediately set something loose, and a tear rolled down his cheek. Inwardly cursing, the prefect moved to wipe it away, but more came, inevitably catching Dino's attention. "Hey, Kyoya!" he said, "Come on, Kyoya, say something!"

"... It hurts," the prefect breathed, before shuddering as blood seeped down his back. "It... it really hurts."

Dino gave the ravenette an odd look, and asked, "Is there... something I should know about?"

Hibari shook his head quickly, then winced, rubbing the stinging area with the back of his hand. "No," he said, "Nothing. I've just... I haven't been myself lately."

"No kidding," Dino muttered, using his sleeve to dab at the other's eyes, and Hibari blushed lightly as he mumbled 'thanks' under his breath. "So there hasn't been anything out of the ordinary?" Cavallone pressed, staring firmly into the other's eyes. Hibari shook his head again, and strayed his eyes to Dino's whip, instantly getting anxious when he saw the weapon, regardless of whether it was active or not.

"Dino... I think I need to talk to the baby," he said in a soft voice, looking back up at the blonde. "There's something wrong with me."

The Italian stood and helped the prefect up, then asked, "Should I get you something for the... you know..."

"No, I'll be fine," Hibari replied, though he wasn't fully convinced of that himself.

The prefect didn't notice Dino was holding his hand until they had already exited the school, at which point, he decided, it didn't matter anymore. Besides... it kind of felt nice.

"Hey, Kyoya, you live around here, right?" Dino said as they turned onto a street. Hibari glanced around. It was most certainly the street his lived on- but he was hesitant to admit it.

"... Around here, yeah," he answered. They had almost passed his house when Dino paused, and stared.

"Woah, Kyoya, look at that place! Phew, does anyone live there? What a wreck!"

Hibari was on the verge of saying 'absolutely not,' when a pair of annoying little brothers dashed out over the lawn and glomped Kyoya. "Kyo-nii!" they cheered, "You're home early!"

Agonized by humiliation, Hibari shoved the two off of him. "Raiden, Isamu," he snapped, "Get back inside, I'll talk to you later-"

"Wow, are these your brothers?" Dino gasped, before realizing something. He glanced at the house, then back to Hibari, then grinned sheepishly. "You live here, don't you, Kyoya?"

Hibari glared at his brothers. "It's a long story," he muttered.

"Ooh, does Kyo-nii have a boyfriend?" Raiden teased, "Hehe~ mama's going to be so mad~! Papa, too!"

Isamu giggled with his brother, and Hibari grabbed Dino's arm. "We're leaving," he snarled. "And he is NOT my boyfriend."

His blood boiling with anger, the prefect pulled Dino away from the risk of his family, and away from the crack in his dignity, ignoring the blonde's small complaint at being dragged out of the vincity of 'such adorable mini Kyoyas.'

"Never go near my house again," Hibari warned, looking into Dino's eyes. "It's not safe."

"Aw, come on, Kyoya, your brothers are little angels~," the bronco gushed, "They're practically the opposite of you~."

Hibari was immediately hurt by the comment, as the opposite of an angel would be a demon, right? So Dino thought he was a demon?

Hell no.

Who would treat a demon so kindly, and so innocently?

No one other than the devil himself.

Yet Dino was starting to sprout horns in Kyoya's mind.

-End Chapter

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><p>Wao! I never write chapters this long! :D It's all thanks to the lovely reviews~, keep them coming! At this rate, I'll definitely manage 100,000 words! *high fives reviewers*<p> 


	4. Chapter Three: Broken Melody

Silent Heartbeat Chapter Three- Broken Melody

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><p>That night, Hibari made the risky move of inviting Dino to dinner. He wasn't particularly sure what had overcome him; it was a very sudden urge that he'd gotten when Dino said, 'see you another time.' He'd felt a burst of sadness that gripped his heart and pierced it- and before he knew it, he had told Dino that he simply HAD to come to dinner, for his mother was a wonderful cook, and he was certain that Dino would enjoy it.<p>

It was his mistake.

Hibari walked into his house, silently telling Dino to leave his shoes outside, then stepped in, calling out, "Mother? I brought a guest, tonight. He's my tutor, Dino Cavallone."

"Ah, your tutor, hm?" she said bitterly, walking into the room. "You never supposed that we have enough mouths to feed? Your father is coming home tonight from visiting your grandfather. I'm certain that he won't be very pleased with you, Kyoya."

Hibari's mother looked like a very formal woman, with jet-black hair that reached just past her shoulders, and the traditional kimono she wore. Her sky-blue eyes stared straight into her son's as she spoke.

The prefect bowed deeply. "My sincerest apologies, mother... Mr. Cavallone is here from Italy, he won't be staying in Japan for very long, and he wanted to meet my family before he left again," he told her. She sighed.

"I suppose it can't be helped. You just make sure he knows that we're no family he can be a freeloader in!"

"Ahahaha, I can tell that, Mrs. Hibari," Dino cut in. Kyoya and his mother both glared at him, and the air was immediately tense, until, in the kitchen, Raiden and Isamu called that dinner was ready. Kyoya's mother turned and headed into the kitchen, and Dino sighed. "Well I was just trying to make a good impression."

"Easy, Dino, she can sense your fear," Hibari murmured. "In fact, I can too. Calm down. You can't act like an equal, but act like an herbivore and you'll get eaten."

With that, the prefect hung up his jacket and gestured for Dino to do the same. However, after Hibari saw that Cavallone was wearing a tank top- which showed that obvious tatoo, he urged for his tutor to put the coat back on. Dino sighed and did so.

Everything was set, and Hibari led Dino into the kitchen, where he gave the blonde and his twin brothers a formal introduction. The two turned out to be more into foreigners than they had seemed earlier that day. They kept pestering Dino about Italy until their mother finally snapped at them for bothering their guest and shaming the Hibari household.

That shut them up.

A few minutes after they had sat down, Hibari's father finally got home. "I'm here!" he called. "Is dinner ready?"

"Yeah, hurry in her, papa, Kyoya brought home a foreigner!" Raiden called, earning himself an elbow to the ribs from Isamu.

Foreigner?" the man repeated, walking in. "What a... pleasant suprise."

This man could strike fear into anyone without even trying- and, just as Kyoya would, he narrowed his eyes when he saw Dino. He was a head taller than Hibari, and had his hair cut short. His eyes were a silvery gray, and they almost shone like a lion's as he glared at the blonde who was intruding in his personal space. (If you don't already have a good image, imagine a man similar to Kyoya's TYL self.)

"Then... who is this man, Kyoya?" he asked, leaning over slightly with the intention of inspiring fear in his son. He often did that whenever the rare guest was over, in order to demonstrate how he could control his family.

"My tutor," the prefect replied shortly. "Dino Cavallone."

"Tutor? I've never heard of this tutor," he said, drumming his fingers on the table dangerously as he grew impatient.

"It's a long, story, father, and I'd love to discuss it over dinner," Kyoya said, before grunting as his father pressed his palm against his back.

"Your shirt is torn, Kyoya," he hissed. "Why did that happen?"

"That's my fault, sir," Dino finally spoke up, "like Kyoya said, we'll tell you everything over dinner."

The man gave a grunt and sat down, glaring at Dino. Hibari knew precisely what his father wanted.

Answers. And fast.

"Let's eat!" Raiden and Isamu said.

Dinner had begun. One of the most dangerous daily occurences of the Hibari household. Kyoya stopped Dino from reaching for food, then shook his head, and waited until his father had filled his plate to make a move. After all, there was a very distinct pecking order in that house, and Dino, being accustomed to Tsuna's traditions, didn't know how to behave in the area. Kyoya served Dino before himself, at the same time that Mrs. Hibari was served by their father. Raiden and Isamu, being the youngest members of the family, had to wait until the end to get their meal.

"So, Kyoya," Hibari's father began once more. "Tell me about your friend."

"Tutor," Kyoya corrected. "We met under Tsunayoshi circumstances."

"Ah, Tsunayoshi," the man sighed. "Well, what was it this time?"

"A fight," the prefect said with a smirk. "A good one. One I had to prepare for."

"Hehe," the other chuckled, "All right, I'm intrested. Mr Cavallone trained you, I presume?"

"Yes," Hibari replied, "Dino got me in shape for my battle, not that I was worried."

"Who did you fight? Or rather, what did you fight?"

"Gola Moska," Dino cut in, leaning back in his chair, his eyes closed. "Equipped with bullet proof armor and capable of speedy movement regardless of its mass. Could shoot bullets from its fingers, and all sort of other ridiculous weapons. Kyoya fought it in a battlefield loaded with landmines, and gatling guns that would shoot the moment you stepped into a certain radius."

The blonde sat upright. "I wasn't there," he said, looking into Hibari's eyes, "but I just know you were amazing."

There was a small, nice silence, before Hibari's father cleared his throat. "How DID you do, Kyoya?"

"Blew it up with one hit," Hibari said.

"Excellent. Just what I'd expect from my son," the man announced. Kyoya shuffled for a moment.

"Well... there was a lot of hell that broke out after all of that," he muttered, "but it doesn't matter."

"Now about that tear in your shirt..."

"My fault," Dino said once more, "Kyoya and I were training earlier today and I guess I hit him a little too hard across the back. Hehe, sorry Kyoya..."

"Oh, please, I'm not worried about him," interrupted Kyoya's father. "He can take a hit. But that was his school uniform, and, as he very well knows, we don't have an unlimited supply."

"I'm sorry, father, I could've dodged the hit," the prefect cut in, not wanting Dino to get in trouble with a man who could easily crush him.

"That's right," said the man, "you're better than that. Finish up, soon, Kyoya, we need to talk after Mr. Cavallone has gone on his way."

"Yes, we do," agreed Kyoya's mother, before taking a drink of tea. "About that girlfriend."

"Mother, Father, please, I'm not ready for that," Hibari began, but his father put his hand up for silence.

"After dinner."

It was shortly after that Dino reluctantly took leave, pain evident in his eyes. Hibari could identify the sadness because he'd seen it just that morning... in the mirror. The blonde leaned in slightly so that only Kyoya heard him whisper, "Good luck."

"Dino...," Hibari whispered, "I want you to stay."

"I can't stay in Japan forever," the other man whispered, "I have things I have to take care of."

"I know," Hibari murmured. "One week."

"Two," Dino replied, "because I feel that I need to help you through this phase."

"Thanks, Bronco... I'll see you tomorrow?" Hibari asked, reaching out his hand. He needed the physical contact, even if it only lasted for a few heartbeats. Dino reached out his hand, and Hibari gazed at the intriguing pattern on the bronco's knuckle as he took it and wrapped his fingers around the man's wrist for a brief and soothing moment.

"I have no doubt," Dino whispered. "Bye, Kyoya."

As Dino slid his hand out of the prefect's grip, Kyoya's fingers brushed over the strong, smooth flesh until it had completely retreated from his touch. "Bye, Dino," Hibari whispered. He watched the blonde's back for a while, and, once Dino had left his line of vision, the prefect nervously returned into the cage he called home. "Well?" he asked, "What is it, mother? Father?"

"A while back, someone heard your father on the phone with you," his mother began. "This man is very nice, and says that he has a daughter about your age."

"No," Hibari said immediately. "I refuse to be held back by someone I do not know."

"Kyoya, you must listen to your father's wishes."

"I said no," the prefect snapped. "There is simply no way. I don't even know this woman!"

"Kyoya," his father began, "she sounds like a beautiful young woman."

"You taught me to be free," Hibari told the man, his eyes fierce, "and I'm not ever to let you cage me with an arranged marriage."

Fuming with rage, Kyoya turned on his heel and left the room, headed for his own. After all, whether he were to try or not, he didn't have anywhere other than his school to head to, and it was already too late to be out walking the distance to the school. Hibari hated to be held back more than anything else, and even though his parents knew that, they just couldn't sympathize with him.

Of course, Hibari was the eldest brother, and he was aware of the fact that his parents expected him to do whatever they wished. And, under normal circumstances, he absolutely would. After all, Hibari Kyoya was a man who respected his customs. Yet lately, those traditions just hadn't seemed like something he could do with peace of mind.

Hibari wanted freedom.

And he was going to get it, one way or another.

-End Chapter

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><p>Hehehe. More reviews, please~?<p> 


	5. Chapter Four: Shattered Pride

Silent Heartbeat Chapter Five- Shattered Pride

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><p>Hibari woke up the next morning groggy and restless. Sighing, he forced himself out of bed, and dressed himself, before walking out of the house, not bothering to eat breakfast- as he didn't usually require it to get through the day- then started for school. As he moved down the street, he wondered about Dino... where he was staying, if he was well, just the general worries of a man concerned about his fellow man.<p>

Of course, that was hardly the case, as Hibari Kyoya was no normal man.

He strode into the school, and could feel his body ease with the scent of the school building- the plants, the walls, the lingering odor of the cleaners used... it was just a soothing aura that the building gave off. It calmed Hibari, made his muscles relax.

But then all that peace disappeared at once.

Hibari froze, a small tremble running throughout his body, and he quivered once more as he looked over his shoulder. "Who's there?" he asked, his lips pulled back in a frown.

"Kufufufufu... it figures YOU would recognize my presence, Hibari Kyouya."

Hibari stepped back as a misty essence leaked in through the window, before taking form as his rival, his enemy, Mukuro Rokudo. Hibari's heart raced as his eyes trailed from the crown of Mukuro's hair, to the dark boots. Everything about him inspired an extreme fear in the prefect.

Memories flooded back to him... terrible images of his own mangled, helpless body, with broken bones and bloodied clothes. And as his chest heaved up and down, ragged breathing flowed past his lips. What Rokudo Mukuro had done to him was a terrible thing, and he didn't know it until that precise moment, when that man stood before him, chuckling the death melody.

"Rokudo...," Hibari said, his voice a rasp of noise. "You..."

"Kufufu, is there something the matter?" Mukuro asked. "You're quite pale, Kyouya. Could it be that you've finally come to fear me? Now, that wouldn't be any fun."

"I'm... I'm not scared," Hibari said, equipping his tonfas. Of course, being the prefect, he shouldn't be allowing non-students through the halls, yet, as he looked into the mismatched gaze- the stare of death itself, he began to waver. He was mortified at the mere sight of the illusionist. What would become of him should they fight? The nostalgic break in his dignity was approaching, as was the inevitable harm that was brought to his form. The pain, he predicted, would be enough to kill him.

"You're terrified," Mukuro laughed, "I'm truly amazed. Kyouya, you've changed."

"Nothing about me has changed," Hibari denied, gripping his tonfas tightly. "I'll bite you to death."

"Then come at me!" the illusionist teased, holding his arms out as if showing Hibari that it was okay to attack. "Come now, Kyouya," he laughed, "I won't hurt you!"

"Shut up!" Hibari shouted, running at the illusionist. He knew it was a mistake the moment he started for Mukuro. His tonfa collided with Mukuro's trident, and he swung an arm up to hit the other in the jaw.

'I can defeat him,' Hibari thought, 'he is nothing to me.'

"I am everything to you," Mukuro said, backing away from the swing and whirling his trident around, before jabbing it into the prefect's arm. Hibari dropped his tonfas and reached his hand to hold the wounded arm, staring at Mukuro in shock.

'That... hurt,' he thought, 'just like Dino's whip yesterday...'

"Oya?" Mukuro questioned. "Seriously? I... hurt you?"

The illusinonist appeared to be genuinely suprised at the way his rival trembled and moaned quietly with the pain. Molten ruby rolled down Hibari's arm, and the prefect looked back at the tip of Mukuro's trident. The blood on it's prongs, it was so surreal.

So painful.

And Hibari Kyoya could hardly stand it.

"Mukuro," he began, "I can't fight today."

"Kyouya?" Mukuro murmured, "Wait, please... explain yourself."

The illusionist stepped over to the prefect and grabbed his arm, then pressed his thumb into the stab wound, and Hibari winced, and gave a small whimper. "Mukuro, stop...," he said weakly.

"You... you just... I can't believe this," the illusionist said, looking back into the prefect's eyes. "You feel pain. You're sensitive. You're... not yourself, Kyouya."

"I know that," Hibari snapped, taking a step back. "I'm sorry to let you down, but..."

'Why the hell am I apologizing?'

"... I just can't fight today."

"I understand... somewhat," Mukuro sighed. "Farewell, weak, hollow shell of the man who rivals me in strength."

As Mukuro sublimated into mist once more, Hibari reached down to pick up his tonfas once more, his arm still sore. He couldn't help feeling like he'd made a mistake by charging after Mukuro. It was a sad truth that he was growing weaker, and if he hadn't realized that by then he would have to have been a very ignorant man. The spikes of pain every time he was attacked- the obvious quakes he suffered as he faced any opponent... it was much too clear that he was a different man. A fearful man. A weak man.

An herbivore by the name of Hibari Kyoya.

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><p>During lunchtime, Hibari was on the couch in the Reception Room, tending to his sore, raw wound. It was a painful feeling to place cloth over such a deep injury, but he knew that it was neccessary. All he had to bandage it was a tie, but he used it anyway, securing the knot with his good hand and his teeth.<p>

It was a shameful thing to bleed onto his school uniform, but Hibari was starting to care less about that and more about himself. Although Namimori middle school was the one and only place where he found peace of mind, he was starting to see how low the security there was. And then he realized, with a small shudder...

'I AM the security.'

"Kyoya!"

Hibari jumped slightly at Dino's voice, but smiled when he saw the blonde. "Hi," he greeted shortly. "I'm glad you're here."

Dino was slightly suprised when he heard kindness spoken from the ravenette, but he walked over nonetheless, and sat down beside Hibari, his amber gaze growing wide when he caught sight of Hibari's arm. "What happened?" he asked, reaching out and taking the prefects arm in a vice like grip that made the ravenette whimper softly. The blonde backed off. "Sorry..."

"It's okay...," Hibari breathed. "It was Mukuro."

"The Mist guardian?" Dino questioned. "No!"

"Yeah," Hibari replied, "He was here for a fight. So I ran at him and... well... this happened."

"Man, Kyoya... this is the worst," the Italian sighed. "I really think we ought to talk to Tsunayoshi and Reborn. Maybe they'll know something."

"Maybe," Hibari agreed, hanging his head. "I'm weak...," he whispered.

"You're not weak...," Dino replied, reaching over and brushing a strand of pitch-black hair from the prefect's face.

"I am."

The prefect sniffled as his eyes watered. "I'm more emotional than Tsunayoshi... I don't just wince and shrug off wounds... Dino... I cry."

"You just need time to become accustomed to all of this," the man replied, wrapping his arms around the prefect's shoulders. Hibari closed his eyes as he was brought close, then rested his shoulder on the other man's. "You'll be fine... you'll be okay...," Dino soothed, softly rubbing the younger man's back. Hibari's eyelashes twitched as a tear fell from them, landing and sinking in to Dino's jacket. As he listened to the other's voice, he slowly began to feel better, and he absorbed all of Dino's warmth while he could. The light, glowing kindness that the blonde emitted, through body heat, voice, scent and action all sunk into the prefect's mind. A connection was made between the two, even though Dino didn't sense it.

It was a bond.

It was Hibari's feelings for Dino.

And they were all coiled around his heart, constricting it in Dino's absence, and caressing it in Dino's presence. Slick yet barbed, long but thin, strong and wavering, every piece of the emotion linked it into a chain that locked Hibari away in a cage of unrecognized infatuation.

And it would hold him prisoner for years if it was never attended.

It had to be unlocked.

By the only one who Hibari trusted more than anyone else, who would come to him in times of need, and would comfort him with an embrace and those gentle words that flowed through his lips like wind, swaying the prefect every which way as it swirled around his mind.

Dino Cavallone.

-End Chapter

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><p>Wao. That was fun. And nice. And I hope to get some reveiews for it!<p> 


	6. Chapter Five: Compassionate Soul

Silent Heartbeat Chapter Five- Compassionate Soul

The next day- After school hours

"So you think Tsunayoshi will help me?" Hibari asked. He had every reason to be skeptical, after all, the boy was horrified at the sight of him, so why would he help the prefect, who had frequently bullied and beaten him?

"Of course he will," Dino replied, a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "You don't really know Tsuna, but he's a really nice kid, I promise."

"Okay," Hibari sighed, "I trust your word, Dino. Don't let me down."

"I won't," the other man chuckled, before giving the prefect a one-armed hug. "You're going to love him."

Hibari laughed quietly, and said, "That's one strong word to use, don't you think?"

"Not really," Dino said, before looking deeply into the prefect's eyes. "I love him, too, after all."

For a moment, the ravenette felt a twinge of some really foul emotion. Something inside him that made his heart ache with anger and pain. What did it feel like to be loved by Dino? The prefect needed to know. He looked down, and murmured, "What's it like?"

"Hm?"

"To love someone," Hibari explained, glancing back up at Dino. "What does it mean?"

"Hehe, it's... hard to explain," Dino replied, gazing into the prefect's cold stare with his carmel-colored eyes. "When you love someone, you care about them a lot. You like to spend time with them. You're happy to see them, and you mind when they're hurt. You don't fight them."

Hibari felt his face heat up as he stared at Dino's smiling face, wondering what it was that Tsunayoshi had, that he didn't. Was it the fighting? "So you love Tsunayoshi," Hibari commented, turning his eyes to the blue sky above and letting out a sigh. Dino looked back at the prefect.

"Well, yeah," he said, "he's like a little brother to me, I mean."

"Hn," Hibari grunted, feeling slightly better. He was pleased to hear that Dino didn't love the other boy in a romance way, and instead felt more of a kinship for the young Vongola.

It was about then that they had arrived at Tsuna's house. Dino walked up the door, leading Kyoya as he went, and knocked. "Stay by me," he whispered, holding the prefect close by his shoulders. Strangely enough, Hibari gave a silent agreement to the command by leaning into the blonde, while in most cases he would shove Dino back. It had only been a number of days, yet already, the prefect was feeling closer to the Italian man than ever before.

"Hello? Oh- Dino! And- hii! Hibari-san?" Tsuna gasped, stepping back. "What-?"

"We're here for advice," Dino said, before murmuring, "feel free to talk to Tsuna about anything, okay, Kyoya?"

"Right," Hibari said.

"Can we come in?" the blonde asked.

"No way!" Tsuna cried. "I'm going to get beaten up if I let Hibari in my house!"

"Trust him," Dino coaxed. "Kyoya won't hurt you."

"... Okay, fine," Tsuna sighed, "I'll take the risk. Come on in, Dino, Hibari-san."

Dino stepped in, tugging Hibari in with him, and indicated to where the prefect could take off his shoes. Moments later, the three headed upstairs to Tsuna's room to talk. Reborn was already in there, with his usual all-knowing aura. Hibari did as Dino and sat on the ground with Tsuna, and Dino began the story in Hibari's place.

"Okay, it all began a couple-"

"A few days ago," Hibari cut in, "the day before our fight..."

"Right, okay, what happened before our fight?" Dino asked quietly.

"A feeling," the ravenette began, looking down. He was a tad embarassed to come clean about all of his new emotions, especially to people who he wasn't very familiar with, but with Dino there, he felt he could manage. "I wanted to see people. Hang around a crowd, for once. I didn't like the feeling... it set me out of order."

"Is that when you called?" Dino asked. The prefect nodded, and he didn't want to go on, but then Dino took his hand, and held it perfectly in his own, making the ravenette blush as he felt the other's smooth skin, and every ounce of fear disappeared.

"I knew that you would be there for me," Hibari said, almost becoming unaware of Tsuna's presence as he whispered, "I knew you would help me."

"So you called Dino," Tsuna said, "and then...?"

"Oh, right!" Dino started, his cheeks dusted the lightest pink as he glanced back at the brown-haired boy. "The next day, I showed up at the school, and I fought with Hibari, as requested. But when I hit him, he was actually really hurt."

"Hibari-san was?" Tsuna repeated. "That's not a good sign."

The prefect stood and walked over to the window, then looked out longingly. "There's something else, that I don't know if it's connected to all of this..."

"What is it?" Dino asked.

"I haven't seen Hibird for more that a week," Hibari said, his voice quiet. He sighed and walked back over to the two, then knelt down, and said, "I miss him."

The blonde came close to Hibari and hugged him as his eyes grew teary. Being Hibari's tutor, he knew how important the fluffy, little, yellow bird was to the prefect. They'd met in a dark, dusty cave of an area, where Hibari's deathly pale, torn body had lied, his breathing rough as he struggled for oxygen. There, when all seemed lost, a little bird had reached out to him. The animal had flown through the top of the cage-like area and landed beside Hibari, chirping quietly. His affection for animals had allowed the prefect to sit upright, and he let the bird fly onto his finger, then, as what he believed would be his last pleasure in that dark hell, taught the bird how to sing the Namimori middle school anthem, and say his name as well. The bird's chirping had indirectly saved his life.

It was his first friend.

Dino soothed the prefect as he cried softly, then asked Tsuna, "Would you help Kyoya? He... really needs friends."

"I don't need friends," Hibari whispered, trying not to return Dino's embrace in front of Tsunayoshi, even though suppressing his instinct to do so was difficult. However, it took even more effort to not say to Dino, 'I need you,' because Hibari was fully convinced of that as the blonde held him in such gentle arms, such strong, gentle arms, taking away every negative feeling he had. It was amazing how soothing Dino's energy felt against him.

"Uhm... Hibari-san," Tsuna began. "It's okay. If you ever want to... I don't know, join Gokudera, Yamamoto and I for lunch, feel free to. It'll feel better to hang around other people."

"... Right," Hibari sighed, before muttering, "as if they'd take me."

"Hey, it's okay," Tsuna insisted, "Really. I'll explain everything to them, and I'm positive they'll accept you."

Hibari looked up into Tsuna's eyes, heaved another sigh, and said, "Okay."

"Don't worry, Kyoya," Dino said, rubbing the prefect's back. "Tsuna will be a good friend for you. I promise."

"I trust you, Dino," Hibari murmured, glancing up at the blonde.

"Good," Dino said, smiling.

And, after a few moments of small talk, Dino and Hibari headed back out. "Mm, well, now that we've got a date set up for you and them, how about we set up one for us?"

"I beg your pardon?" Hibari said. The other man stopped, and Hibari followed suit, turning to face him. Dino reached up and placed his hands on Hibari's shoulders, and the prefect blushed, feeling his heart rate increase.

"Kyoya," Dino began, "listen to me. We've been getting really close lately, haven't we? All hugging and touching..."

"Y-yeah, I guess," Hibari mumbled, looking away.

"That's why I want to go on a date with you, Kyoya, and get to know you even better," Dino said, his face close enough for the prefect to feel his breath. "You're important to me. So what do you say?"

There was a moment that stretched time as the prefect gazed into the other's captivating, caramel eyes. He could feel the air flowing through his own lips as he watched Dino, and he thought about the words, trying to comprehend them. What did Dino want from him, again? Was it just an intrest? What had he said about Hibari? Important, was it? What did that mean?

Then, Hibari trembled as the meaning flowed into his mind. A link of chain melted inside him, heating his undeveloped soul as its molten form seeped over the sweet spot nestled inside his chest, because Hibari had just realized that it meant he was someone SPECIAL. He was no longer Dino Cavallone's student, but a friend, and a close friend, at that! He was someone with whom Dino wanted to spend his time- someone who could talk to Dino openly, and he would listen, maybe give a response. Someone who was, to use Dino's own word, 'important.'

It made the prefect's heart flutter with joy, for he was the one and only who was being asked to go with Dino in that precious moment; and he almost fainted as those warm, golden brown orbs stared into him, tugging the single word from his lips that would forever change his fate...

"Yes."

-End Chapter

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><p>Phew! This fic is sooo much fun. X3 Reviews, pleaaase~.<p> 


	7. Chapter Six: Soothing Aura

Silent Heartbeat Chapter Six- Soothing Aura

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><p>The next day, Noon.<p>

Hibari Kyoya was about to attempt enjoying a lonely lunch, when there was a knock on the Reception Room door. "Who is it?" he called.

"Uhm- Hibari-san?"

The door opened a little, and Tsuna peered into the room, before stepping in as he saw Hibari. "Do you want to have lunch with Gokudera, Yamamoto and me?"

"... Sure," the prefect replied, walking over to the door, which left his unfinished reports on the desk. He paused beside Tsuna, and frowned slightly. Something just felt odd about having to look down at the boy, as though he'd become accustomed to Dino's height. "Hn," he grunted, dismissing the thought for better entertainment.

"Uhh- okay, come with me," the brown-haired herbivore invited, walking out of the room. Hibari reluctantly followed, feeling a little self-concious to be seen with Tsunayoshi- his former annoyance. "So, Hibari-san," Tsuna began. "How are you?"

Being one who could recognize the words of small talk, Hibari was quick to speak up. "I'm good," he said. "You?"

"Ahh... tired, but I'm okay," Tsuna sighed. They continued down the halls, and Hibari was beginning to feel nervous.

If Tsunayoshi's friends didn't accept the explanation, would he find himself hurt again? Would he be beaten by them? The thought of a fight set the prefect in a state of anxiety. What would he do if he were attacked? He would hardly even be able to defend himself.

"Gokudera-kun? Yamamoto!" Tsuna called as they stepped onto the roof.

"Over here, Tenth!" Gokudera replied.

Gokudera Hayato.

He and Hibari had gotten off on the wrong foot to begin with; their relationship had began when Hibari stepped into the Reception room to find him, Tsunayoshi and Yamamoto. Irritated by Gokudera's bold, rude attitude, and his smoking habits, Hibari had attacked.

It had been his immediate win.

Hibari could describe Gokudera easily, for the Italian's appearance was simple. Short gray hair in an odd style that resembled the shape of an octopus, and deep, emerald eyes that looked mean in any case that didn't involve interaction with Tsunayoshi, he had the typical delinquent look about him. He was well built, but a little rash in a battle, always trying to get the first move. Additionally, there was his odd obsession with Tsuna, which Hibari recognized as a 'save my life, I serve you forever,' case. He was certainly the odd one, but seemed like a huge benefit for Tsunayoshi's supposed 'family.'

"Yo, Hibari," Yamamoto greeted.

And then there was Yamamoto Takeshi.

He was another strange guy. He was nice, and during that first meeting, he had tried to avoid fighting if at all possible. Hibari had already been irritated, however, and took Yamamoto out with Gokudera. He had a better fighting style, though. He could dodge, take a hit well, and he was quick on his feet, even capable of dodging a couple of Hibari's swift attacks.

He had short, black hair, eyes colored like chocolate, and almost always a warm smile. A nice guy, Yamamoto was, with his cheerful demeanor and easily amused mindset. He had a toned body, and a shapely form. He was a baseball player, as well as a skilled swordsman. The opposite of Gokudera.

Someone who Hibari felt he could get along with... somewhat.

"Hello," Hibari greeted, sitting down with the three.

"So what's up with you, bastard? Tenth's been keeping everything hushed up, he wants you to say for yourself," Gokudera challenged.

"Now, now, Gokudera, calm down," Yamamoto said. "We don't want him to get mad at us."

"Yamamoto Takeshi, Gokudera Hayato," Hibari began. "I'm a changed man."

Hibari relayed his story to the two, but he didn't give a lot of detail- his pride prevented that. And after he'd finished his story, the two were stunned into silence, but Yamamoto was fast to place his hand on the prefect's shoulder. "It's cool, Hibari," he said. "We're your friends."

"Yeah, Hibari-san, we are," Tsuna added.

"... I know," Hibari said, smiling. "You're... my friends."

Suddenly, the Namimori anthem started going off, and Hibari, blushing, took out his phone, and answered, "Hello?"

("Kyoya, it's me.")

"Dino...?" he responded, his lightly flushed cheeks turning a little darker.

("I'm really, really sorry, but I have to go back to Italy... tonight.")

"What? Why?"

("Something urgent came up with my family... someone important was recently taken out. So, I'm sorry, but I'm leaving.")

"What time?" the prefect asked, his lip trembling as sadness gripped his heart.

("Nine.")

"But... but what about tomorrow?" Hibari murmured. "Our... dinner plans?"

("Again, I'm sorry. But I have to cancel. Really... sorry, Kyoya.")

Hibari looked down, and closed his phone, not bothering to say farewell. He felt that he would crumble if he tried.

"Hibari-san? Are you okay?" Tsuna asked, looking at the ravenette worriedly.

"I'm fine," Hibari replied. "Dino's leaving."

"Oh...," Tsuna murmured, "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," the prefect said simply, leaning back. "Where were we...?"

"No where in particular...," Tsuna said. "Uhh... Gokudera-kun, how have you been?"

"Ah, well there's Bianchi, if you want to hear about her..."

When Gokudera started talking about his daily life, Hibari started to block him out, going into a thought. He wondered when Dino would come back. IF he would come back. He wondered when he could see that warm smile again... feel that strong body pressed against his more delicate form, and smell the faint scent of roses that wafted off of him. The calming words that flowed like a lullaby, and the sweet sounds of someone who cared about him.

He would miss it all so dearly.

And when would Dino hold him again? When would he embrace him, with those powerful arms that held him like a bird? When would he touched like a fragile flower again? How long would it be? The feeling of longing pulled on Hibari, telling him to stop Dino from leaving, to hold Dino close and never let him go!

But even Hibari knew that he couldn't rope the Bucking Horse.

That was right. Dino was a wild stallion with the heart of a gentle, old mare. As he raced and reared up to defend his family, he reached out to neutral outsiders with a welcoming attitude. He'd smile and hold out his hand, pleading friendship. And as such, wouldn't that mean Hibari's connection Dino was nothing special?

Could it be? That the times of affection and intimacy were only in Dino's nature? Was Hibari just being treated as everyone else?

Was he even that 'important?'

But... no... it couldn't be true!

'Dino...,' Hibari thought, looking down, his eyes watering, 'I think... I think I love you...'

"Hibari-san? Uhm... Hibari-san?"

The prefect looked up, then stood. "I'm sorry... I need a moment," he said.

"Uh- okay," Tsuna said.

And so, with a heavy heart, Hibari returned to the Reception Room.

In which, some serious mourning would be done, until...

He made up his mind.

'I won't let him go. Never.'

-End Chapter

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><p>:D Finally! I did something other than my 'A Royal-' series. XD Please review!<p> 


	8. Chapter Seven: Tortured Mindset

Silent Heartbeat Chapter Seven- Tortured Mindset

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><p>Hibari walked up to the gate, then ran as he saw Dino. "Bronco," he said. The blonde was looking at him with suprise.<p>

"Kyoya? Why are you-"

The prefect hugged Dino tightly, and sobbed into the Italian's chest, knowing that he wouldn't be able to change the man's mind. "I was hoping that it was a cruel joke you were playing on me," he cried, "I don't want you to leave, Dino... not ever..."

"Kyoya...," Dino murmured, "Come on, people are staring..."

"Dino," the prefect began again, fisting the other's shirt as he looked up. "I... I want you to stay with me," he said, before wiping at his eyes. "I don't know how I'm going to cope with you being away... You'll leave me with those three, who don't understand me at all, and I'll be vulnerable to attacks by Mukuro... and... and my family will catch on to my weakness soon enough- come on, Dino...! Please stay!"

The blonde sighed, stroking through the prefect's dark, black hair, and whispered, "I'm sorry. I have to go... so you have to stop clinging to me now, Kyoya."

Hibari released the man, looking down. He bit his lip, and looked back at Dino, then at the ground again. "I... I'll miss you so much."

"I want to stay, Kyoya, but I have family matters to deal with," he said. "I'm sorry."

"... I love you," Hibari said, blushing as he refused to meet the man's caramel gaze. "I love you, Dino."

Dino stopped caressing the prefect's hair, and pulled back, confused. Then, Hibari heard it. A small, light chuckle that Dino just let slip past his teeth. A heartbreaking noise that showed Hibari how... NOT serious Dino was about him. It was all clear now.

He was nothing more than a friend to Dino.

Dino never thought of him that way.

It was all some fantasy he'd made up.

And the truth hurt him more than any cut, any whip, any taunt or insult could have. It seared Hibari with its sharp edges, showing him how truly unloved he'd been in all of his life. The prefect trembled, and turned around. "Bye," he said, and he turned.

"Wait, Kyoya!"

No.

It was all a lie.

_Don't look back._

_Never look back._

"Kyoya, come on, don't leave so quickly!"

_Don't give in to the man you love._

_Don't let yourself get hurt again._

_Run._

_And never let Dino see your face again._

"Kyoya!"

_Go._

Hibari walked away, tears streaking down his humiliated face, and he left the other man alone, his heart throbbing with pain.

'Dino...,' he thought, 'I'm sorry... but I won't be able to look at you the same ever again...'

* * *

><p>That night...<p>

"Kyoya," said a voice from behind his door, "are you coming to dinner?"

"No."

"... Can you unlock the door?"

"Who are you?"

"Raiden?" they answered.

"Is Isamu with you?"

"No."

"... I'm not coming out."

"Come on, Kyo-nii..."

Hibari remained lying on his bed, his head against a pillow that he was hugging tightly.

"Kyo-nii..."

"I want to be alone."

Raiden left, and Hibari snuggled against his pillow, sighing with defeat. The feeling of rejection burned inside him, gripping his heart and piercing it with its steel claws. "Dino...," the prefect whispered, tears soaking into the pillow's fabric as he cried. "Dino... I... I can't..." He sniffled, and closed his eyes, wondering how long it would be before he snapped. It was clear that he wouldn't last long without the Italian man who he recently found love for, and yet... Could he really leave everything so... loose?

The feelings he felt tore at him, ripping his newly established soul into shreds, breaking his heart which he'd just recently composed. His feelings were crushed, his mind was blank. He couldn't find it in him to eat dinner that night.

Hibari Kyoya was broken by agony.

If Dino Cavallone didn't take him seriously, would anyone?

Hibari's phone buzzed.

The prefect groaned, turning on his side, and reached for his phone, then opened it.

'I never said I didn't return your feelings.'

Hibari sniffled, and texted back, 'You laughed at me.'

'I didn't mean it like that.'

He wanted to believe that, too. 'You laughed.'

'I'm sorry. I didn't think you were serious.'

Hibari closed his phone, looking somber, and whispered, "If you don't always take me seriously, how can you love me?"

His phone buzzed again, and he couldn't resist looking.

'I thought you were teasing me.' Before he could even reply 'hn,' another text appeared. 'I'm going to find you.' And another, 'Kyoya, I stayed for you.' And one more, 'I can't stand to see you cry.'

The prefect truly did want to believe what he was reading. But was it even true? Was Dino mocking him? Hibari could bet that he was already back in Italy; after all, Dino had taken his precious time in sending a text.

In reality, however, it had only been an hour.

His phone rang.

"Hello?" Hibari answered, his voice cracking as he found it.

("Meet me in front of Take Sushi at eight tomorrow. Please.")

"I'm done trying to-," Hibari cut himself off as his phone beeped at him, telling him that Dino had already hung up.

* * *

><p>The next day, eight o'clock in the morning.<p>

Hibari stood in front of Take Sushi, trying to fight his tears.

If it wasn't enough that Dino had the nerve to text him, this was too much. In fact, it was as terrible... as heartless... hell, Dino WAS a devil! Hibari felt himself lose every chance of feeling love all at once. It was all gone. Every ounce of it had just flown out of his hands like a moth. He was loveless. Unloved. He would never feel the sweet taste of love in his life. Never.

The prefect turned and left, whimpering at a headache that came from holding his sadness back. The pain was unbearable.

To think that Dino would pull such a disgusting trick.

Such a cruel, vile trick.

He hadn't shown.

-End Chapter

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><p>Please Review...<p> 


	9. Chapter Eight: Parental Counseling

Silent Heartbeat Chapter Eight- Parental Counseling

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><p>Hibari Kyoya was in a state of sheer depression.<p>

When Dino had stood him up yesterday morning, it had really taken its toll on the prefect- who's newly found feelings were sensitive and easy to control. He had landed in a nest of sadness that he continued to spruce up with tears and murmurs of sorrow, his entire being weighed down by the heavy emotions. He spent the day in bed, not answering when his mother or brothers came to the door, and not eating.

He was in the biggest emotional slump he had or ever would experience.

And it was then that there was a knock on the door- sharper than anyone else's particular knock.

His father had arrived.

"The hell is wrong with you, Kyoya? Why aren't you eating?"

"Father...," Hibari whispered, frightened. He spoke up, "Father, I just need to call it a sick day."

The door broke immediately, and an enraged papa Hibari strutted into the room and kicked the bed. "Kyoya! Get your lazy ass out of bed and eat something!" Hibari sat up, and looked at his father with his sad, tear-filled eyes, and he saw that the man was genuinely suprised to see the heartbroken expression in his son's eyes. His expression softened as he came over, and slowly sat down on the bed, reaching to place a hand on his son's shoulder. "Kyoya, is there something I should know?" he asked. The prefect reached over and hugged his father for the first time, and, for the first time, he hugged back. "Talk to me, Kyoya," he whispered.

"Father, I'm gay," the younger man murmured, "please don't shout..."

"Shh, all right, Kyoya," his father replied. "It's all right."

"I'm in love with a man, father."

"It's okay."

"He doesn't love me back."

"Don't worry, son."

The prefect clung to his father, sobbing, and letting himself be soothed by the older man, who was gently rubbing his back, and murmuring those words of comfort. He quietly asked if his son was in love with Mr. Cavallone, and Kyoya whimpered and nodded. "Father... do you hate me now?" he asked, looking into his father's bright, silver eyes. The man solemnly shook his head, and rubbed the prefect's head.

"Kyoya, I couldn't hate you. I did... but not now. I'm a smart man, Kyoya, I can tell when something's different. You've really changed, and I think it's a good thing for you," he said. "You're going to feel true emotions while the rest of your family can't."

"Father... can you feel them?" Hibari asked in a small voice. There was a pause, and the older man nodded.

"I can. But I gave up on love and fear long ago. I couldn't handle the strength. So I just shove my emotions away and pretend that I don't feel them. It looks like you took after me more than I thought."

The prefect smiled and said, "I love you, father."

"I love you too, son," the man chuckled. "Now get up, Kyoya, I'm going to take you out so I can teach you how to control your emotions. This mean's I'll be digging up some of mine, too, so be prepared."

Hibari's phone rang, and he reluctantly answered, apologizing to his father. "Hello?"

("Where were you yesterday?")

"You stood me up, you bastard," Hibari hissed. His father suddenly grabbed the phone.

"Is this Dino Cavallone?"

("... Yes?")

"Do you know how my son feels about you?"

("Uhh, do YOU?")

"Get out of his life. Let him live properly as a man. And a man shouldn't have to deal with someone who will hurt him."

"Father...," the prefect murmured.

The older man patted his son's shoulder. "It's okay, son."

("I love him.")

The man frowned. "Let me get my son in shape before you screw things up." With that, he closed his phone, and smirked at Kyoya. "Let's head out, son."

"Okay, father."

* * *

><p>"All right, how do you feel right now?" Hibari's father asked as the stopped in front of Namimori Middle. "About your school, I mean."<p>

"I love my school," the younger man told him. "When I'm around Nami Middle, I feel relaxed, at rest, and I'm calm."

"Good. How about friends?" the other asked. "Have any friends?"

"... Well, there's Tsunayoshi...," Kyoya murmured, "and his little crowd."

"That's a good start," he said. "How about you show me around, son? It's lunchtime, right?"

The prefect nodded, and led his father into the school, in which many strange looks were given to them. "Tsunayoshi's probably on the roof," he said.

"How does it feel to call him Tsuna?" Mr. Hibari asked.

"Uh... I don't know, I never have," Kyoya replied. "I don't feel that close to him."

They soon stepped on to the roof, and Hibari's father gestured to the circle of Tsuna, Gokudera, and Yamamoto. "Go on, son," he said, patting Kyoya on the back. "Try to engage in a social conversation. I'll watch from here."

The prefect sighed and approached the three. "Hey, guys," he greeted, sitting down. "Do you mind?"

"Oh, not at all," Tsuna said. "Hi, Hibari-san."

"Hello," the prefect returned, "how are you?"

"I'm good," Tsuna replied. "Hey, are you all right? We didn't see you earlier."

"Ah... I haven't been well," Hibari answered.

Just as his father seemed to have expected, conversation wasn't a natural thing for Kyoya. He soon became left out of the discussions as Yamamoto and Gokudera joined in, and soon enough, Mr. Hibari was done with his test. "Kyoya!" he called. "Retreat, boy!"

As awkward as the situation was in the moment, Hibari stood and walked back to his father. "How was I?" he asked, as if he didn't know.

"Not very good, son," the man sighed. "But I see you trying. You've been so cold up until now... it's odd that you're suddenly... well, a 'feeler.'"

"Feeler?" Hibari repeated. "What a weird word..."

"Heh, don't mind the petty details, Kyoya," said the older man. "Now listen... Your mother and I were forced to marry by our parent's decision, and I didn't like that, but I had no room to speak out. I don't want you to be heartless like we were. Okay?"

"I've BEEN heartless all my life," the prefect replied, "Something happened, I think."

Suddenly, someone cut in, "Yeah, something happened."

The prefect and his father both looked up to see Reborn. "What is it, baby?" Hibari asked.

"I've been investigating this myself," Reborn announced, "And I think you and your father should look through these files. It's up to you to tell Dino." Hibari's father took the folder and opened it, then showed the picture to his son.

"Do you know this girl?" he asked.

A jolt of suprise ran through the prefect as he remembered. "Yes," he whispered, "Yes, I attacked her... she wasn't following the regulations... I just ignored it, but... she said... she said she cursed me!"

"You're in trouble, Hibari," Reborn said. "The way you are now, you aren't fit to be the Cloud guardian. And you're going to get yourself hurt. Her curses are real, Hibari, and they can't be lifted without her help. Some of these curses are deadly, too. Is she alive, still?"

The prefect stared, shocked. "No... I... I killed her!"

Reborn nodded.

"You're a goner."

-End Chapter

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><p>Holy hat! Please review! XP<p> 


	10. Chapter Nine: Impending Death

**Silent Heartbeat Chapter Nine- **

**Impending Death**

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><p>"Six reports have been given on this girl cursing those who attack her so that they feel emotions... and those who haven't recieved her forgiveness for attacking her have been... oh, no...," the man read, looking serious. Kyoya trembled.<p>

"Go on, father."

"Have been found dead in various places across the globe. It is likely that the effect of trying to suppress their emotions turns into a venom and... god, Kyoya, this is bad."

"And what?"

"And overtakes their body," Hibari's father finished. "Oh, unless... unless they... find an ultra rare lotus blossom with twenty petals and a light pink color that emits a light purple glow on rainy, autumn nights, and burn it over a bed of roses, inhaling some of the smoke, before the year is up. Ah, this is impossible, Kyoya!"

"What's impossible?" asked Raiden, walking into the room. "Papa, is everything okay...?"

"It's nothing," he snapped, "Kyoya, I'm going to see you get a heart if it kills me, boy- I will find that flower!"

"It's okay, father," the prefect said, looking down. "You should pay attention to Raiden and Isamu instead of me, I've never been a great son, after all..."

"Damn, Kyoya, this is important!" the man shouted. In a quieter voice, he said, "You can't live without love, Kyoya. You'll be miserable if you try. Even I..."

"Papa?" Raiden said. The older man glanced at his son, and frowned.

"I thought I dismissed you, Raiden," he hissed. The boy bowed and took his leave, and Hibari's father looked back at him. "Look at me, Kyoya. Do I look happy?"

Kyoya shook his head.

"You're right. I'm not. I never have been, because I... I'm different from the rest of my family, and now you are, too."

"Father...," the prefect murmured, "what can we do?"

"... I'll tell your mother that I'm going on a business trip," he sighed, standing up. "But I'm going to be looking for that flower. How long do we have?"

"About eleven months," the younger man answered.

"I can do it," Mr. Hibari sighed. "Until I get back... be safe. Find yourself a girl- eh- boyfriend, and make yourself happy, okay?"

"I'll try, Father."

"And look for your bird," he added. "You seemed happier when you had that little puff-ball on your shoulder."

"Yes, Father," Kyoya said as his father went to get his coat off the couch.

"Ahh... I'll miss you," he breathed as he walked past the prefect. "I'm going to tell your mother now, and, one more thing."

"Huh?"

"Be careful when your at home, son."

"Okay, Father."

With that, Mr. Hibari left, and Kyoya felt the loneness of being without him immediately. He slunk back into his room, and, upon entering it, he found that his phone was ringing. He hesitantly answered, hoping it not to be Dino. "Hello...?"

("Kyoya! Ah, finally, you answered...!")

"I don't want to talk to you," the prefect mumbled, closing his eyes.

("I realized what happened at the sushi place- you got the time wrong, I meant eight at night-")

"No excuses!" Hibari snapped. "If that's what you meant, you should've specified in the first place! You idiot, I... I hate you!" The ravenette closed the phone, and, frowning, repeated, "Hate?"

_It was a foreign word._

He'd used it before, but somehow, using it against Dino was wrong. When he said it to Dino, it felt empty and meaningless. What was hate?

_Hate is a strong dislike._

But why did he say it to Dino?

_Because you hate him._

No... no, that wasn't right. He couldn't possibly hate Dino. The mere thought of being without him pained Kyoya more than anything else. "Dino..." And the second Dino's name escaped his lips, he broke down. He settled on the bed and hugged his knees close, and shut his eyes tightly as he thought of how Dino would treat him after that. Would he be mad? Or disappointed? Would he ever find a place for the prefect in his heart after Hibari had said that he hated him?

_Why do you still care...?_

_What keeps you from ignoring him?_

"I love Dino...," the prefect breathed, "too much to ignore him."

And shortly after, he fell into slumber, to be tortured by dreams of his love running from him.

* * *

><p>Morning...<p>

When Hibari woke again, he felt strange. Cold. Weak.

He got himself dressed and headed over to the bathroom, then stared at his reflection in the mirror. He was pale; there were circles under his eyes as though he hadn't had any sleep at all! He reached up and brushed his fingertips over his lower eyelids and blinked, trembling with anxiety. Why did he look so sickly? He didn't feel sick; his throat wasn't sore, he didn't have a cough.

What was happening to him?

"Kyoya?"

Hibari turned to see Isamu, looking at him with narrow, blue eyes. "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm fine," the prefect replied. "What makes you think otherwise?"

"You look like you're gonna throw up," the younger boy said, "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," Hibari eat yo beansrepeated, before leaving the bathroom.

He personally didn't know whether that was true, but he did know this; something was happening to him. His body was changing... his emotions were spiking... he was overwhelmed by the strength of his feelings. He was scared, lonely, and felt sick inside. He didn't know what to do, but one thing was certain- he wanted to see that man.

The man who had cared for and helped him get stronger over the years, the man who knew him so well... Dino.

He needed Dino.

"Dino...," he breathed, reaching up with both arms and folding them. He bent over slightly as his eyes watered, and he shook his head, knowing that the man he needed to see wasn't going to talk to him. In fact, Dino was probably back in Italy! "I need you...," he whispered, "I need to see you... I need you to hold me..."

As the words tumbled out of his mouth, he slumped into the wall, and closed his eyes as a tear rolled down his cheek. "Dino..."

"Kyoya?"

"Heh- Dino?" the prefect murmured.

"Kyoya, stand up."

Hibari glanced back and blushed when he saw his mother, who looked both irritated and confused. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"I... I just..."

"Are you sick?"

"No, I-"

"You're going to be late for school. Get out of the house."

The prefect wiped at his eyes, and stood upright, then headed out of the house without any backtalk. As he walked across the roads, slick from a brief rainfall the previous night, he felt the world around him grow blurry. He coughed, and slipped on the ground, falling down and hitting the road roughly. His eyes shimmered as he looked up, and he closed his eyes as a faint roar in the distance, and then a screech...

And as pain slammed into his leg, everything turned black.

-End Chapter

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><p>Ahhh... sorry for last week, everyone! I'm slumped a little, and this weekend I have a friend staying over... so... yeah...<p> 


	11. Chapter Ten: Hospitable Kindness

**Silent Heartbeat Chapter Ten: **

**Hospitable Kindness**

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><p>When Hibari came to, the first thing he recognized was a sharp pain in his leg. As he tried to clear his vision, he sat upright and slowly took in his environment. It wasn't long before he realized that he was in a hospital. Hibari emitted a quiet groan, massaging his forehead tenderly as he wondered how he had ended up in such a place. And then, he heard a voice, though he couldn't quite make out the words...<p>

"Kyouya, I was in the area... *mumble mumble*... so I took you here... *mumble mumble*... rivalry... *mumble mumble*... would be the right thing to do..."

"... What... who...?"

The voice was vaguely familiar, but in a sickening way. The voice made Hibari's stomach lurch with fear, and he looked to his side. A chill shot up his spine as he saw the face, but then, the man's hand touched his chest so softly, it eased his tense muscles. "Shh. You're very, very hurt."

"Mukuro... why are you...?"

"... When I found you in the middle of the road... it looked like you had JUST been hit. There was a man kneeling over your motionless body... gah, I just felt sorry for you, I guess," Mukuro muttered, looking away. Chuckling and shaking his head, he continued, "The last time I saw you, you were just acting like... well, almost like Chrome used to be. Mayhaps it was a sort of instinct I had; I just knew that I had to help you out- as your rival."

"Oh...," Hibari murmured. He blinked in confusion, before figuring that he must've collapsed and gotten hit by a car.

"Kyouya," Mukuro started, looking like he was about to say something very important. He then thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. "Nevermind... it's nothing," he sighed. "Just... try to heal up, okay? Here." The illusionist set a lotus flower on the prefect's stomach, and said, "Just meaning to lift your spirits, Kyouya."

"Thank you," Hibari said quietly. He could tell that it was an ordinary lotus blossom, nothing that would actually help him. But Mukuro's kindness was rather refreshing... especially after being treated poorly by that Dino.

"Kyouya," Mukuro started again. He had that same look on his face. "... I... eh... no... no, still nothing."

"Mukuro, touch me," Hibari rasped. "Just let me feel your hand against my face... let me feel a friendly touch." The illusionist paused, then reached forward, and his gloved fingers brushed soothingly over the prefect's cheek, making him shiver. Giving a calm sigh, Hibari leaned against the welcoming palm, his cheeks beginning to turn color. "Mukuro...," he breathed. The other smiled and retracted his hand.

"You're so different, Kyoya."

Hibari blushed, and his heart raced as he took in the small sentence. Not because he was being called 'different,' but because Mukuro had said 'Kyoya,' not 'Kyouya.' It was soothing, and nice, because it meant that Mukuro wasn't looking down on him anymore. 'Kyouya' could be translated to 'plaything.' Hibari was no longer a toy. No longer an object of amusement. He was a human. He was real.

He was... _an equal_.

A warm feeling came over the prefect as he thought about it, and he reached his hand out, and wrapped his fingers around the other man's wrist. "Mukuro...," he said, "I think I'll be okay with you hanging around as much as you want."

"Kyoya?" Mukuro murmured, "Are you... sure you're all right?"

Oh _YEAH._

He WAS supposed to be a jerk, wasn't he?

Hibari retracted from the handshake, and looked away, trying to suppress his blush. "Thanks for bringing me here," he mumbled. "You saved me."

"Shut up," Mukuro said quietly, "You're toying with my mind... and that's my job."

"Sorry," Hibari apologized. He glanced back as Mukuro began to walk away, and allowed himself a small smile. Could it be that Mukuro would heal the wound in his newborn heart? Could the power of the Mist bring back the love Hibari longed to feel? Could it?

Hibari closed his eyes, holding the lotus flower in his hands. His leg hurt, but he felt an overpowering happiness inside him. The fluttering inside his chest made it pleasantly clear...  
>That he would soon find love again.<p>

* * *

><p>Later...<p>

"Kyoya... Kyoya, wake up!"

Hibari let out a gentle whine as the strong arms gave him a violent shake, making his leg sear in protest. He forced his eyes open, and said, "What?" Unfortunately for him, something had broken in his voice, and he'd given off a sound rather similar to that of a scared kitten. A mewl, almost.

"Ahh, you're awake... I'm so relieved..."

A heavy mop of blonde hit the prefect's stomach and he hissed in pain, before growling, "Why are you here, Dino?"

"Why? You ask... why?"

The golden fluffball shot up, revealing worried, shimmering, hazel eyes. "I was worried about you, Kyoya," he whispered, his nails poking into the prefect's skin. "Just look at you! You're a mess; you're so pale... you look so delicate... almost like... like a..."

"Like a WHAT, Bronco?"

"Like a flower," Dino breathed.

Hibari, hurt physically by the other's roughness, and hurt emotionally by Dino's presence, tried not to cry as he looked away. "I don't want to see you right now," he attempted to change the subject. "I can't take the pain."

"Ah, yeah, yeah, right," Dino stuttered, backing off. "Sorry, I'm being a little reckless with you, Kyo-"

"Go away," Hibari said. The tears were hanging on the edge of his eyes, barely being held back, and the force of resisting them added a headache to the prefect's wellbeing. "I don't want to see you."

"Kyoya, I just want to talk," Dino began, but the prefect put a hand up.

"You're hurting me," he said, his voice just loud enough for Dino to hear. The blonde stood, and gave Hibari a long stare, before finally leaving the area. The prefect immediately gripped his head, and yanked the covers over his body, not seeing exactly HOW pale he'd become. In truth, his skin was mere shades from porcelain white, while his eyes looked more lifeless every day.

Hibari Kyoya... was sick.

Every so often, he would emit a petite cough, or give a cute, little sneeze, but it was no mere cold that kept him in bed. He grew weaker constantly, feeling more and more sluggish. And every day, at the same time, Mukuro would stop by and set a lotus blossom on the prefect's chest. Then, they would talk about something, until a nurse came by and ordered the illusionist to leave for the sake of their staff not getting distracted by him. But for some reason, whenever Mukuro and him talked, Hibari felt that Mukuro was... sad about something. He didn't say so, but his eyes seemed so full of pity and compassion, and one day, he even whispered, 'you poor boy,' to the prefect.

Hibari hadn't seen himself, but he was truly a mess. And everyone around him was starting to believe he was on his deathbed. Hibari began to sleep more, as well, opening the gate to a world of dreams.  
>A world of love.<p>

-End Chapter

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><p>Man, this ch. seems slow! I've slumped! *depression* So I'm going to seriously need some reviews!<p>

And btw, this is STILL D18, just expect some mixin' up to keep it rollin'!


	12. Chapter Eleven: Crumpled Emotion

**Silent Heartbeat **

**Chapter Eleven: Crumpled Emotion**

I'm sorry, D18 fans! Please bear with me through these times of 1869!

* * *

><p>"Mukuro...," Hibari rasped, "I feel ill."<p>

The illusionist gently squeezed the prefect's hand, and sighed, "Oh, Kyoya... I wish I could help you."

"You can...," the ravenette whispered, beckoning the illusionist closer with a finger. "You can..."

"How? How can I help you, Kyoya?" Mukuro asked, reaching forward and holding the sick man's face in his hand. "How... tell me..."

"One... kiss... is all I ask for...," Hibari murmured. "I need to feel love..."

"Kyoya, I... I don't know what to say... I..."

The prefect's eyes shone with misery, and Mukuro truly did want to help him, however, he wasn't one who experienced emotions such as love. Perhaps deep inside his heart, there was a place for such emotions, but due to his constant lack of care for the beings around him, he had slowly lost all ability to display his heavy feelings.

Love included.

The illusionist was born with the feelings of a human, but those had left him over the years as he strived for perfection- for strength. Not to mention the experimenting that had been done to him in his childhood. If he were to feel anything remotely 'nice' then, it would be the tugging of his heartstrings that people called 'longing.' And that so called longing was formed by lonliness, which, until recent events, had receded into the depths of his twisted soul. Being the rival of Hibari Kyoya was fun, but now that Hibari had fallen so sick, Mukuro couldn't help hanging by him, trying to sooth the prefect whenever he could.

But love... was still too far out of his league.

Much too far.

It was just... impossible.

"Kyoya, I'm sorry," the illusionist apologized. "That's... not something I can do."

"Oh... okay...," Hibari murmured, though in his heart, he didn't understand. Why did Mukuro stay by his side, anyway? The prefect closed his eyes. "Okay," he repeated, "that's okay..."

"Really, I'm sorry," Mukuro said, "but... even if I did... I wouldn't be able to do things right- I... I don't feel the things you're feeling. I... don't get it."

"It's okay, already," Hibari sighed. "I'll be okay... I'll just go to sleep."

_Bad idea, Hibari Kyoya._

* * *

><p>"Ah, Kyoya, there you are! I was looking for you, are you all right?"<p>

"Yeah, I feel great!" Hibari hugged the taller man tightly, and nuzzled against his chest. "I'm just glad to be here with you, Dino..."

The prefect was completely unaware that he was in a dream in that moment. But as he held the older man in his arms, he knew that this was where he belonged. He knew that being with Dino was the only way for him. But he also couldn't help but wonder when it was that they made up. Hibari sighed, not retreating from his embrace.  
>"I wish I could be here forever," he whispered.<p>

"But you can..."

Hibari looked up, and Dino suddenly had an air of complete perfection about him. His hair was that bright gold color, shining against the rays of the sun, and his eyes, the deep and alluring carmel, were those of which the prefect felt he could just drown in. And then, as if that wasn't enough, Dino leaned down, and his lips just barely touched Hibari's. The small touch, resembling that of a feather, was a sensation that Kyoya prayed he would never forget. And then, it suddenly turned surreal. Deep in Dino's eyes, Hibari saw something... something that glowed a light pink... something that he felt he would never see in the real world.

_It's life, Kyoya. That which you see in his eyes is life. But that which you feel is something else..._

"All you have to do to stay with me forever... is say a few words...," Dino whispered, distracting Hibari from the enchanting lotus blossom in his gaze.

"What words? What are they?" he asked.

"_I_ _never want to wake up_. Just say that," Dino said, and something like a smirk played on his lips as he looked back into the prefect's eyes. Hibari thought for a moment He didn't want to wake up, he truthfully didn't. But something was wrong with that.

_Don't say it, Kyoya, don't say it. If you do..._

"Dino... if I say that... will I... will I die?"

As the sentence left his lips, he clutched Dino's shirt tightly in his fingers, not wanting to let go. But if Dino answered 'yes,' he would have to leave immediately.

_That's right, Kyoya, it's dangerous... don't submit... never let yourself obey the command of another..._

"It might just do that," Dino chuckled.

Hibari looked back up, and the lotus blossom in Dino's eyes lost each of its petals one by one, each falling off just as the other disappeared from sight. "Dino... why...?"

But the second he had asked that, he'd realized that Dino's face was no longer 'Dino's face.' Matter of fact, it had turned into the face of a girl, and she looked vaguely familiar, too. Hibari backed away immediately, and the girl laughed hysterically, and sang out, "Hibari Kyoya, you fool! You cannot kill me without paying your dues! You're coming with me, Kyoya! You will die!"

* * *

><p>"No!"<p>

Hibari sat up, breathing heavily, but then winced as he felt pain shoot up his leg. He looked around, and shuddered, cold piercing his chest.

He felt weak.

From his broken leg to his scarred mind, he could feel the fragility of his body. He was frail, and as he continued to look around the room, he knew that he was also extremely vulnerable. The prefect looked up at his hand, and, even in the scarce moonlight, he could see just how lifeless he looked. Icy-cold tears rolled down his cheeks as he recalled the words of the dream, and he sniffled, reaching up to bury his face in his hands. Above anything, he didn't want to die. He wanted to keep living, so that he could apologize to Dino, and find Hibird.

He wanted to spend quality time with his father, to make up for all the wasted years.

He wanted to become friends with Mukuro, and show him what it was like to love, so that he, too, could 'feel.'

He wanted to redeem his name as a friendly person; he wanted to become someone that his brothers would look up to.

He wanted to hold love in his hand and say confidently that he felt it. He wanted to embrace the emotions, because he knew of their potential niceness.

And as he lied there in the hospital bed, he wished with all his heart that he wouldn't die. He put all of his willpower into one goal. He had to live... at least until morning, he had to be strong. He had to tough it out.

He had to become Hibari Kyoya.

* * *

><p>... Morning...<p>

Hibari heard footsteps, and his eyes opened immediately, swiveling to his side to see their guest. "Mukuro," the prefect said. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Mukuro paused, and Hibari felt a wave of guilt when the illusionist's expression sank. Mukuro placed a lotus blossom on the prefect's chest, looking a bit cautious, and he said, "Well, I was just visiting, like I always do. Uh... you look good."

"Damn right I do," the prefect spat.

_No, Kyoya, no, stop that... it's not right..._

"Are you all right?" Mukuro asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I was. Until you came along," Hibari snarled. "Why don't you just leave me alone already, can't you see I don't want you here? Damn stupid pineapple."

_No, Kyoya! Stop! Apologize to him... he's your only friend right now!_

Fire burned in the illusionist's eyes, and he grabbed the lotus blossom, crushing it in his fist, before he walked away in an angry silence. Hibari stared after him with a scowl, and closed his eyes again, folding his arms. "I hate crowds."

The small voice in the back of his head continued to scold him for dismissing Mukuro, but Hibari ignored it. He didn't want to hear it, so he blocked it out, and eventually, he couldn't hear it anymore.

He was back, and it felt so good.

-End Chapter

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><p>Yeesh, could all this angsty stuff be from lack of reviews?<p>

Remember, people, I want to drag this out to 100,000 words! We're almost 20 percent there, so come on! Keep the reviews coming! It's not cool to not review! And I allow anonymous reviews, too! :)


	13. Chapter Twelve: Multicolored Viewpoints

**Silent Heartbeat **

**Chapter Twelve: ****Multicolored Viewpoints**

* * *

><p>Something wasn't right.<p>

Something was missing... some sort of object was out of his reach still.

Hibari sighed, and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to remember what piece of his old self was still hollow. Where was the missing puzzle piece? He closed his eyes, resting his hands on his stomach, and blinked away the sleepiness that had taken him by suprise. But natural urges couldn't be fought, and the prefect quickly slipped into the dream world, where he would change immediately.

* * *

><p><em>It's useless. It's all useless. I'm alone... there's no one in the world who loves me. I don't have a place in this world- I'm just dead weight... I have no meaning... I have no purpose... I'm all alone with no one who cares about me... help... somebody... help me... Save me from this world of darkness.<em>

_Save... me..._

Hibari looked up, then stood, tonfas wielded. "Who's there?" he asked, glaring.

_Help me..._

"Who is it?" he repeated, turning around.

_Save me... please..._

Gritting his teeth, Hibari stood up a little straighter. He furrowed his brow as he thought, before he suddenly felt a heavy weight on his legs, holding him to the ground. Then, as if on cue, a loud clinking... steadily growing closer... more dangerous...

_Help me... save me..._

Hibari couldn't look away as a trembling, weak form crawled towards him, chains hindering his movements. The man looked up, and Hibari stared in shock, for before him lied... himself. Except... his eyes were hollow, black holes, crying out bloody tears. His clothes were torn in several places, and his entire body seemed frail and broken. Immediately, Hibari felt sick to see himself in such a way, but before he could do anything, something else happened.

_Oh, the joy! Oh, happy days! He said yes! He said YES! We're going to have such a romantic date! I know; I'll even bring him flowers... I'm sure he'd love it! I just know he'll love me!_

Hibari turned, and there stood another version of himself, glowing a bright yellow as he hugged himself. The bright smile on his face almost erased the idea of the dark, blue Hibari who continued to inch closer.

_I'm so glad I was able to ask him... I'm so proud. Without a doubt, this is the best thing that has ever happened to me!_

His eyes were lively and happy, and his movements were so fluid, so graceful!

Hibari turned again to see another, this one holding tonfas and looking around himself darkly.

_That bastard thinks he can just stand me up? That freaking idiot... I'll kill him! I'll destroy him! I'll tear his body to shreds! I refuse to be held back... I refuse to let him abuse me! I'LL KILL HIM!_

And then, a small voice came from the one side he hadn't yet turned to. Hibari was forced to see the final one, this one smiling, but in a sort of sad way. A purple aura was emitted from the being.

_It's okay. He's busy, I can tell that. I just wish that one day he would look at me... I wish I could be beside him. I wish we could become lovers... then... I just know my life would be perfect. I am so lucky to have just seen his face... I'm so lucky I got to see him... If only he was in my reach... if only I could be with you, Dino..._

All of a sudden, an ice-cold hand locked around Hibari's ankle, and he gasped, looking back to the first one he'd seen. The black, soulless eyes looked up at Hibari, the jaws parted in a silent scream.

_Find me... find a place for me in your soul... Find the lonliness of life... Find sorrow in being alone! Nobody loves you! Nobody wants you! You're worthless, Hibari Kyoya! Worthless!_

Hibari gasped once more as cold nails dug into his flesh, making a burning sensation run through him. He suddenly realized that the Hibari before him was right... if nobody loved him, then he was... he was nobody. He was alone... all alone... Then, a hand touched his cheek. He turned to see the previous one, looking at him with that gentle, sad smile.

_You're not alone... you have yourself... you have your friends... There's Tsunayoshi, and Gokudera, and Yamamoto... there's Mukuro, and your father and your mother, there's Raiden and Isamu, and there's Dino. And, there's me... there's longing, but there's also comfort._

The purple-shaded Hibari leaned forward, and the prefect closed his eyes as lukewarm lips touched his own, sending through him a sense of security. He found himself happy, and content to be alive. He had people in the world who cared about him. He had friends, and he knew that was the most precious thing he could have. The other backed off, and Hibari gave himself a little smile. He had something.

And then...

_Feh! What are friends without love? What is love without hate? There's bad in the world. There's always a negative for every positive. You can't complete the circle without a little rage!_

Hibari looked just as a tonfa collided with his jaw, bringing a sharp pain to his head. A surge of anger ran through him, but somehow, he felt it just strengthening him, making him capable of taking the punches life threw at him. The Hibari with red energy then stepped back, and began to fade.

Then, just as he began to feel something inside him, a warm embrace took him by suprise.

_I'm so happy... I think my heart will burst out of my chest. Don't you feel the same? Don't you see what it is...? It's love! You love him, Kyoya, you really love him. All those years of being alone... and you've finally found out what will make you happy. You've discovered it at last, Kyoya. You've discovered me. You've discovered happiness._

Hibari smiled, and hugged the other back, nodding in agreement. It was so true. He'd spent his life in solitude, but things had started to change for him once he met that girl. He had grown a soul. He had grown to love. Maybe... there was a little good in the world for him. Maybe he was going to find true companionship. Maybe one day... he'd have the life he had always, always longed for.

Company... Family... Friendship...

As the final Hibari disappeared, a warm glow lit up his chest.

_Hibari Kyoya._

Hibari looked up, and around, then back to himself as a stream of light flowed from his heart, materializing into the shape of a human. The light became dull when it pooled into its work, and Hibari watched as it mirrored himself, but a black and white version.

_Is this who you want to be? Indifferent... uncaring... is this you?_

"No!" Hibari said clearly. "That's not me! I'm something more than that!"

He knew it, too. Being the cruel, irritable Hibari Kyoya, he discovered, would make his existence something that tainted the world of emotion. He wanted to feel inside his heart, he wanted to experience the strong emotions he had been cursed with. He desired the ability to feel more than anything, the thirsted for kindness and depression alike. Even though some of the emotions hurt him... even though some of the emotions changed him... he felt that true strength... perhaps... was derived from emotions, not training.

Perhaps everything was derived from emotions.

And feeling the intensity of both love and hate made him see just how exciting life could be. Pain... Happiness... it was all part of the same circle, the neverending cycle that created existence. And he knew in that moment, that, even if life couldn't be controlled, there was always an up to every down. Maybe all he needed to do was lose control.

The prefect reached up, and placed a hand over his heart. "Let me keep these emotions!"

A deep chuckle resonated around him.

_You never did lose them, Kyoya, they were always with you. The curse awoke you from your slumber... see!_

The grayed Hibari shone brightly, and the original prefect watched as a shadow of his past was remembered. He saw himself as a child, a mere six years old, sitting on a swing as the sun set, watching a man a few yards away. An Italian man with blonde hair, and deep caramel eyes. The child watched as he took a whip, then slashed it across a dummy.

"Ha! That'll show that rotten tutor of mine!" he said proudly, before glancing at the boy on the swings. Tucking his weapon away, he walked over. "Hey, I don't know you, but I do know that you come here every day. What's your name?"

The child wished he could speak, but anxiety gripped him, and he blushed, looking away.

"C'mon, kid, it's okay. How about I tell you who I am? I'm gonna be the leader of the Cavallone Mafia family in Italy... can you believe that?"

Yes, yes, he could. He had watched the boy practice in the same spot every day, observing the beautiful form as the older boy moved, his whip slicing across the air to attack the target. The younger looked down. "I better get home," was all he said, before hopping off the string.

_Do you understand, Kyoya?_

"But when did I stop feeling them?" the prefect wondered.

_That I cannot tell you. Now... you must open your eyes. Open your eyes, Kyoya... wake up... Wake up..._

* * *

><p>As Hibari's eyes opened, he let out a strong sigh.<p>

If only he could redo his childhood.

**-End Chapter**

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><p>OMGEEZERS CHECK THIS BABY OWT! *rereads chapter* This is SPECTACULAR, I've never SEEN such magnificence! ... In my own writing, that is!<p>

Thank you one and all, this is a chapter that I myself have fallen in love with, with any luck, the same has happened to you! If it weren't for your brilliant reviews, I'm sure I wouldn't have managed this!

Please, keep up the beautiful reviews! This story has officially earned a special place in my heart!


	14. Chapter Thirteen: Abandoned Memories

**Silent Heartbeat Chapter Thirteen: **

**Abandoned Memories**

* * *

><p>Ten years ago...<p>

Hibari sat on the swing, his eyes fixated on the blonde just a few yards away, working vigorously with his whip to try and hit the target. But he almost immediately slipped up, and the weapon hit him in the face, making him whimper as he stumbled back. "Ow ow OW!" he complained. "Reborn, this is freaking impossible!"

The suited baby slapped the blonde across the face, and said, "Come on, Useless-Dino, you need to get it right, or you'll never be suited for the Mafia!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know! I know, all right, Reborn? But it's difficult! It's not like there's anyone around who's life is in danger, so..."

"If that's the problem, then I'll create a situation for you," Reborn answered, glancing back at Hibari, who quivered at the cold stare he recieved. "Hey, you! C'mere."

Hibari leapt off the swing, and walked over, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Yes, sir?" he asked, his voice light with youth.

"Just sit there, would you? Now, Dino, what if this kid's life depended on you hitting the target?"

"Reborn, you wouldn't!" Dino said, instantly going into a state of panic. Reborn smirked, and got out a gun, pointing it at the young boy. Hibari didn't understand what was going on at his age- besides, he was too fixated on Dino to care. "Reborn, seriously! Stop it, that's just an innocent little kid!" The Italian boy swooped down and took Hibari into his arms, picking him up in one, fluid move. "I don't want any children getting involved in all of this, okay?" Dino said, scowling. He then glanced back at Hibari. "You need to get out of here. I'll take you wherever, so just name the place."

Blushing lightly, the child looked down, then pointed in the direction of his middle-school-to-be. "Take me to Namimori, please," came the small voice. Dino grinned, and helped Hibari up onto his shoulders.

"I dunno if you're too old for this, or if I'm too young to carry you on my shoulders, but I don't care. To Namimori it is!" he announced. Hibari smiled, and nuzzled into the head of blonde hair.

"Thank you," he said so quietly that Dino himself didn't catch it. Dino carried him all the way to Namimori Middle school, then, panting lightly, set him on the ground.

"You wanted to be dropped off here, ri-"

Dino cut himself off as the kid hugged him tightly, only coming up to his stomach. He buried his face in Dino's shirt, and stayed there, silently pleading to have the Italian boy hug him back. Dino was a beautiful man, and Hibari just loved to see him every day out in the park. He was kind, and gentle, unlike anyone else the young boy had met before.

A warm hand held the back of Hibari's head, and rubbed, the fingers becoming entangled in his hair. "Come on, kid, I've got to go," the voice said softly. Hibari backed off, and watched as Dino left, the longing to stay by his side almost overbearing. But instead, the child turned, and walked into Nami middle to greet his grandfather.

* * *

><p>A year later...<p>

Now, Hibari Kyoya stood among fellow students, trying to focus on his studies. But around him, almost everyone was talking, diverting his attention from the science video. He gritted his teeth in annoyance. Didn't they know there was a test tomorrow? Then, a wadded up piece of paper smacked him in the back of his head, and chuckling from behind him proved that the school bullies were up to trouble again.

"Hey, bookworm, how about you get your nose out of your binder and turn to face us like a man?" The harsh, whispered challenge wasn't enough for Kyoya to part from his notes. They were just being immature, and he knew it. "Psst! C'mon Kyotaku!" (A/N: Otaku- nerd/geek. "Kyotaku" is a play on Hibari's first name.)

"Shut up," Hibari growled, about to break his pencil. He could feel the anger boiling inside him, pressing him to attack. But the good boy inside him soothed him, helping him calm down again. And then...

*_ptoo_*

Hibari grunted as a spitwad hit his notebook, and threw a glare at the person seated beside him. "Hehe, that's what we think of your dumb notetaking!" The young boy groaned, and leaned back, giving up. He'd just listen and learn. He was done playing around. "Hey, Kyotaku!" Just as the shout sounded, a pencil hit the back of Hibari's head, and a rumble of laughter and giggles ran through the classroom.

Finally, the video ended, and the lights were flipped on, to reveal Hibari sorely rubbing the back of his head. "Kyoya? Are you all right?" asked the teacher. Hibari nodded with a wince, and the teacher arched a brow in confusion. "You sure?"

"Yeah, I...," the young child trailed off, looking at his hand, where a droplet of blood had collected. He narrowed his eyes, and frowned, then said, "It's nothing, sensei."

After school, Hibari went to confront the leader of the bullies- the one who had thrown the pencil. "Hey, you think you're real smart, don't you? Throwin' pencils at me and all."

The other laughed. "What are you gonna do about it, Kyotaku?"

Hibari snarled and drew his fist back, then stopped, knowing he'd probably get a suspension if he carried out what he wanted to do. But his hesitation cost him- the other student threw a punch that winded him as well as knocked him down, and immediately, he was getting beaten senseless by the other. Minutes later, his scratched, bruised body lied in the bushes in front of the school.

* * *

><p>A year later...<p>

"Were you aware of what you were doing when you attacked the boy?" the man asked.

"No, sir, not really. All I knew was that I was really, really angry," Hibari answered, hanging his head. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me, I..."

"It's okay, Kyoya, I understand," the counseler replied, leaning back. "You're father seems rather angry about this whole ordeal. Why do you suppose that is?"

"Because he's a government official, sir," Hibari replied in a small voice.

"Yes, mister Hibari is a very important man, Kyoya, and now his son has commited murder. How do you think he feels?"

Hibari nodded at his thoughts, and said, "He's worried about losing his job, sir."

"Indeed he is." The two looked at each other for a while, and Hibari eventually broke the silence with a sigh. "I'm so sorry," he murmured, "I had no idea about his family, or anything, it's just... a year ago, he beat me up, you know? So when I saw him, I just got really scared, and I attacked in fear of being stricken."

"Hm."

"I couldn't help it!" Hibari cried. "I just couldn't stop myself!"

"Kyoya, I think we need to consider putting you in a mental facility."

The next day, Hibari's counseler was found dead in his office, and the day after, the Hibari's decided to move.

* * *

><p>A year later...<p>

"Kyoya! Kyoya, m'boy! Wake up!"

"What is it, father?" Kyoya asked tiredly, standing up and walking over to the man.

"Look at this," the man said, showing the prefect a web page with an image of steel tonfas on it. "I think this is it, boy, I think you should be using tonfas instead of that dull, old pocket knife. Besides, bruises heal better than scars, and they hurt more, too. And when you join the Disciplinary Committee at Namimori Middle, this is precisely what you'll need."

"Father, I thought I wasn't supposed to hurt other people," Kyoya muttered.

"In the Disciplinary world, Kyoya, it's absolutely fine," said the man. "And your grandfather is keeping the spot of Disciplinary leader open for you!"

"Yeah," Hibari agreed. "All right.

* * *

><p>A year later...<p>

"Kyoya... come here."

Hibari walked into the room, and looked around. "Mother? Father? What's going on?"

"We have news for you, boy," said Mr. Hibari, smiling broadly.

"What is it?" the ten-year old repeated, taking a seat. "Are we moving again?"

"No, boy, you're going to become an older brother," Hibari's father said in a soft voice. Hibari sighed, and nudged the man on the shoulder.

"Congrats, mother, father."

"That's not all," his mother said, "they're twins."

"Yeah, okay," Hibari sighed. Frankly, he couldn't be suprised. His parents had been 'secretly discussing' having another child for a while now. The younger man had started to think that he was the odd one out. A bad seed. A rotten egg. The caterpillar that wasn't going to mature.

After all... he was a killer.

* * *

><p>A year later... (AN: We're currently at age 11.)

Hibari frowned when he heard the news. His grandfather had passed away of natural causes, and he and his family, including the newly born Raiden and Isamu, would be attending his funeral. He didn't mind going to the funeral, but he WAS concerned about his position as Head of the Disciplinary Committee. He hoped it would still be open when he turned fourteen.

His father was most affected by the death. It was his father that had passed, and they had had a pretty close father-son relationship, it seemed. Even though, Kyoya noted, his father hardly ever came into contact with the older man. The prefect-to-be heaved a sigh, and went to get his tonfas.

It was time to practice.

* * *

><p>A couple years later...<p>

Every sign of emotion had abandoned Hibari by then. No matter what happened, he didn't care. He was alone in the world- his father had stopped caring about him, and only tended to Raiden and Isamu when it was absolutely neccessary. Meanwhile, his mother hardly left the house because she was so busy. The both of them had become indifferent to their own family, leaving Hibari to determine his own ideals.

First of all, there would be no 'love.' He hadn't seen Dino in years, and he figured he never would, as the Italian boy had gone back to his home country. And as for the school bullies he used to come into contact with, he'd found a way to deal with them. He was no longer a weak, herbivorous victim of harassment.

He was Hibari Kyoya.

Head Prefect of Namimori Middle School.

**-End Chapter**

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><p>We~ell, I didn't get as many reviews as I hoped for that last chapter... but okay... This is another long one, so c'mon! Reviewsss!<p> 


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Searing Guilt

**Silent Heartbeat **

**Chapter Fifteen: Searing Guilt**

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><p>A week later...<p>

Hibari walked out of the hospital, and the second he opened the door, he saw Mukuro standing at it as though he was just about to enter. The illusionist blushed, and said, "Have you healed up?"

"I'm a fast healer, but I still have the cast," Hibari muttered, shifting on his crutches.

"Right, right," Mukuro sighed, "I... take it you're feeling better, too?"

Hibari remembered the meanness he'd directed towards the illusionist before that jostling dream, and he sighed, reaching out and unsteadily holding his cheek. "I'm sorry," he murmured, "I'm sorry I was being so cold to you... I'm sorry..."

He leaned in, and pressed his lips to the illusionist's for a fleeting moment, trying to convey his apology through the tender touch. But when he backed up, Mukuro was pale with shock. "You... kissed me?" he murmured, touching his lower lip as if he didn't believe it had happened. "K-Kyoya, I told you... I... I can't love...!"

"I'll teach you," Hibari said softly, taking another weak step towards the illusionist. "I'll teach you how..." Their lips met again, and Mukuro embraced the injured man, but he did so so cautiously that he looked reluctant. Hibari moved another step, so that one of the crutches was right beside Mukuro's foot, and the intimate connection continued until...

"Mukuro?"

Hibari parted from Mukuro at the faint, but sorrow-filled calling of Mukuro's name. He looked over the illusionist's shoulder as Mukuro turned, and the illusionist blushed, seeing Tsunayoshi. "Ah, Ts-tsunayoshi," he greeted, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to check on Hibari-san, but it looks like he's fine," Tsuna said. "I didn't know you were that kind of man, Mukuro Rokudo."

With that, the young boy walked away, and Mukuro groaned, smacking his forehead. "I've screwed up," he sighed, "damn..."

"What's wrong?" Hibari asked.

"Kyoya, that child told me he loves me, and I told him what I've told you. I probably look like a cruel liar right now... Ugh, I'm sorry Kyouya, but I have to go."

Hibari watched as the illusionist walked away, feeling something bad deep inside him. He soon named it as guilt, and he sighed, then wiped at his dampening eyes. "What have I done?" he murmured. "I've only just gotten out of the hospital, and yet I've wrecked the love life of a friend... damn..." The prefect started to head away, allowing himself to feel the anger at himself, because even though the emotion was painful, he could savor it. The anger, the sorrow, the blunt bitterness of the brutal guilt... it all made him feel like a real person. He had emotions. He could feel. The heartbreak of losing his strength was nothing in comparison to the giddiness he absorbed in each color of energy. It was the truth of life that the good came with the bad, and with his memories renewed, he was aware that he had always experienced both sides.

Perhaps, however, he had gotten too much of the good in his youth, and it had to be followed with a wave of negative emotions.

The prefect kept walking until he managed to reach his house, by which point he was exhausted. He made it up to the house, and knocked. Not suspecting a thing, he waited for Raiden or Isamu to answer, and then he knocked again. From inside, there came a noise. A small, little squeak of a noise. Immediately, Hibari kicked the door open with his good leg and got in, completely steady on his crutches, and he saw that the inside of the house was blackened as though a fire had occured. "What...?" he murmured.

"Nya..."

Hibari turned, and saw a gray tabby cat standing at a hole in the wall. "You're that cat I fed a few weeks ago," the prefect noticed. "But where's mother, Raiden, and Isamu?" The cat mewled again, and Hibari walked over to the back door, before opening it. "All right, so what do you want?" he muttered, before walking over to a large stone in the ground. "What the..." He knelt down, and read aloud, "Hibari Raiden was killed in the fire at this residence... what? What fire? What about mother and Isamu, what happened to them?"

"Nya," the cat answered. Hibari shook his head. "No... No, that can't be!"

"Kyoya?"

Hibari turned, and was stunned to see Dino, a whip in hand. "I'm sorry, I'll bet no one told you."

"Told me what? What happened?" Hibari cried, his body stiff with agony.

"There was a fire here a couple days ago," Dino said, "the rest of your family has already moved, but your brother was..."

_"No!"_ Hibari shouted, "I won't believe it!"

Not all of the pain was from Raiden's death; actually, the most of it was due to no one telling him. "Kyoya, if you want, you can come live with me." Hibari's entire body was too numb to feel the hand on his shoulder, his lips too cold to feel the warmth of Dino's mouth against his own, his body too cold to feel the other embracing his own. "Kyoya, I love you."

The words were warm, too, but their underlying heartfelt meaning rolled right over the prefect's head. He was too deep in the anguish to take what he was being offered. But he couldn't tell what he was doing, either, when he began to cry out the other man's name in whimpers so pitiful, so sad that they sounded like desperate cries for help. The word 'Dino' slid out of his mouth so many times in that moment, making him feel the security when the whip-using man answered the weak murmurs with 'Kyoya.' The prefect shuddered, and buried his head in the blonde's shoulder, and whispered something incoherent, but Dino took it as 'love me, Dino.'

Overcome by the mutual affections, Dino hugged Kyoya tightly and said, "It's okay, Kyoya, it's okay. I love you... I love you so much." Hibari's fingers clutched the older man's shirt tightly, and Dino smiled, whispering, "I love you... Kyoya..."

* * *

><p>The next day...<p>

Hibari opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was an unfamiliar ceiling. He could smell an odd scent on the air, feel strange fabric against him, and he heard a soft, but audible snoring from beside him. He glanced to the side, and blushed darkly when he saw the man who had taken him away from the devistation of his burned house. "Dino...?" he breathed.

The blonde man rolled over, and his caramel eyes stared lovingly into the prefect's. "Hey, Kyoya," he greeted, "sleep well?"

_No... no, not quite._

Hibari had been tortured by a string of nightmares. Several dreams had frightened him and startled him throughout the night. Dreams about losing his family, losing his strongest connection to the world, and losing his emotions. And the final... the worst... a dream about Hibird, in which he saw a gray tabby licking its lips, bright yellow feathers clinging to the wet fur around its mouth.

Hibari shook his head. "Why am I here?" he asked. Dino chuckled and wrapped an arm around Hibari's shoulders.

"You don't remember?" he murmured. "How adorable is that?"

Immediately thinking indecent thoughts, the prefect blushed darkly, inching back away from the blonde in the bed. "Wh-what happened?" he asked, trembling slightly.

"Well, after such a long night, I actually thought you would remember, it was nice, and filled with love."

That was the final straw to confirm Hibari's suspiscions, and he threw the covers off of him. He left the strange place, not noticing a fatal flaw in his theory.

Both he and Dino were fully clothed.

**-End Chapter**

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><p>Guys, c'mon~ Reviewwws... pleeease...<p> 


	16. Chapter Fifteen: Scorching Suprise

**Silent Heartbeat **

**Chapter Fifteen: Scorching Suprise**

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><p>Hibari stood outside the building, blushing and breathing heavily. "Man... what did I do?" he wondered aloud. "Hmm... yesterday... I got out from the hospital... home was burnt... Raiden... and then Dino...? That right? But then what happened with Dino?"<p>

He could barely believe that he and Dino had gone all the way so suddenly. When did they even get so intimate? The entire ordeal made the prefect's head spin. It was impossible- they couldn't have gone so far; they'd hardly even kissed before! Yet still... the thoughts that Hibari, as a teenage boy, couldn't help thinking about, were unusually pleasant ideas. Hibari shook his head.

"No! Th-that's not right!" Hibari told himself. "I wouldn't ever let him take advantage of me... I may be emotional and all, but I'm still me! I'm more guarded than that!"

"Kyoya, are you okay?"

"H-how could you follow me out here!" Hibari shouted at the blonde who had just left the building. "Have you no shame?"

"Uhh... what are you talking about, exactly?" Dino said awkwardly. Hibari stood up a little taller, and wielded his tonfas.

"Don't play dumb, Dino! I know what we did last night!"

"W-wait a minute, Kyoya, what do you think ha-"

The blonde was cut off when a tonfa collided with his stomach, sending him to the ground. Hibari stared at the breathless man lying before him, suddenly wondering if he should apologize, before he decided against complicating things more, and made a run for it. After all, if things went on for much longer, he'd probably get himself hurt, whether it was emotionally or physically.

Hibari ran, ashamed that he was doing so, but proud of himself for not submitting to the man he presumed he had slept with. Once he had gotten far from the building and that man, he tried to figure out exactly where he was. He was enlightened when his cell phone started ringing, and he answered without caring if it was Dino or not. "Hello?"

("Kyoya? It's your father!")

"Oh- how are you?" Hibari asked.

("Skip the formalities, boy, where are you?")

"I don't know, Dino dragged me off somewhere yesterday... I'm kind of lost."

("What? Ugh, boy, did you hear something about this fire that Raiden was supposedly...")

"Uh- yeah! But I don't know where mother and Isamu are," Hibari murmured.

("... Can you make it to your middle school, son?")

"I see Mt. Namimori, so I think so. I must be in a part of the town that I don't recognize."

("All right. Call me if you can't make your way back. I think your mother may have decided that she's going to live alone with Isamu- it would be like her; she can't stand being held in one place, you know, and it must be easy to move about with one child. I'm just hoping that she didn't purposely k... no... nothing. Get to Namimori, boy, then we'll talk.")

"Are you okay with that, father?" Hibari asked. "Her leaving, I mean?"

("No worries, son, what I'm worried about right now is you, and you alone. Get your ass to the damned school before I get it for you!")

His father hung up then, and Hibari silently wondered if the older man was all right. It wasn't like him to hop between tender words and swearing so quickly. But Hibari could trust the voice, and he began walking towards Namimori Middle.

After about an hour of walking, the school building was finally in sight, and, though he was exhausted, Hibari was overjoyed to see somewhere he recognized. The prefect hurried over to the school, but just as he was about to step inside, something grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him back, and then dragged him to the back of the building before he even had a chance to see who it was. Hibari was about to ask if this person was his father, but a fist slammed into his stomach, sending him to the ground before a word could be said. The prefect yelped with pain, then shielded his face as the being kicked him harshly, and rained punches on his hypersensitive body.

"S-stop!" the prefect cried. "Someone, HELP!"

"It's no use, Kyouya, it's after hours! No one can hear your screams!" laughed a voice that Hibari knew much too well. Flashes of memory came back to the ravenette, the horrors of being locked away where escape was futile. In a dark, cold place, where he was in too much pain to move a muscle. A hand suddenly grabbed his head, and forced him to look up into the mismatched eyes that he quickly remembered he needed to fear. "Look at your face. You're so pathetic, Kyouya, kufufufufu...," laughed the deep voice as his scared, gray eyes struggled to remain open. "Don't you know? You were much less of a bother to me when you were dying!"

Another sharp punch hit Hibari in the side, and he shut his eyes tightly, tears hanging in his eyes. Mukuro continued to punch the other mercilessly, revealing the demon inside him that Hibari had once believed he could stand up to. The devil known as Mukuro Rokudo. Cruel... full of bloodlust. He was as much of a monster as Hibari himself, which was the thing that really frightened Hibari. If only Mukuro had been cursed instead of him... then it would've all been better! Hibari cried gently as he realized how weak he was. It reminded him of his foul past, in the years when he was known as 'Kyotaku,' or 'bookworm.' The years that had made him who he was when he'd turned sixteen- a fighting machine, unstoppable by anyone. Being weak was always Hibari's one true fear, but now he had many more. Things like 'rage' and 'pain,' things like 'envy,' and 'love,' all of them were now very frightening concepts.

"This'll teach you to meddle with my life, Kyouya!" Mukuro shouted, "You make me look like a fool in love! I hate you, you pathetic excuse for a rival! You'll never be as strong as me, now! Don't you remember? I'm the man who destroyed your pride! I'm the one who took away your dignity!"

Yes, yes, that was all true. Everything was true. But the truth stung, badly. The heartache born of confusion and bewilderment from his encounter with Dino was nothing now to the physical pain he felt. His emotions couldn't amount to this sort of thing!

"Mukuro... please," Hibari said weakly. "I... I can't take this... please... stop... please..."

It wasn't like him to beg, but Hibari knew that if he didn't, it would only continue, and much more would undoubtedly make him snap. If he took much more of the beating, he would be sent into a state of insecurity, and fear. But the punches continually assaulting his body made him skeptical of whether Mukuro would react well to begging. No... it only seemed to worsen things. Hibari curled himself into a ball as far as he could, but Mukuro was still gripping head with a gloved hand.

It was then that one of the fists collided with his unprotected face, and the prefect was instantly knocked out.

"Kyoya! Wake up, Kyoya, come on! Just give me a sign that you're okay... please..."

Hibari looked up, quivering, and he breathed, "Father...?"

"Oh, thank god you're alive...!" Strong arms caught the prefect's sore body in a tight embrace, and he whimpered, throwing his arms around the older man's body.

"Father...," Kyoya whimpered, clutching the older man's shirt tightly. "I'm so glad... to see you..."

"I would say the same to you," Mr. Hibari replied, "but you're in such bad shape... what happened?"

"Mukuro Rokudo beat me up," the younger mumbled.

His father sighed and hugged him a little tighter. "I'm going to take you to the hospital, okay? You're going to be all right, son..."

The prefect chuckled dryly. "Please... not the hospital... I've already spent too much time in there..."

His father ignored the second remark, and helped Hibari up. "All right, then, fine. We're going to go straight home- to our home, and we're going to fix it up, no matter how painful that is. We need a place to live, even if it's burnt. We need a place to sleep, even if it's the ground. Kyoya, listen... about your bird..." The prefect sat upright, listening closely to his father when he heard that there was news about Hibird. "I found him. He's all right, but I don't know what it is about him... he's just acting a little odd. Like he's searching for something. I found him while I was looking out in a lake for that lotus flower we need... he was flying back and forth across it, singing the school anthem. I admit... it was the most precious thing I've ever heard."

Kyoya smiled at his father. "Thanks," he murmured.

"Come on, now, let's get you home...," the older man sighed, an arm around his son's shoulders. At the gate, there was a little, yellow bird in a cage, tweeting the name 'Hibari' repeatedly and flapping his wings.

"Hibird," Kyoya breathed, limping over to the cage and kneeling down beside it. Even in all the pain he was in, seeing Hibird lifted his spirits. The prefect reached his hand out through the bars of the cage, and Hibird hopped over, then rubbed his cheek into the man's fingers. Kyoya smiled, his eyes half-lidded as he watched the small animal.

Finally, a sense of peace had come over him.

-**End Chapter**

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><p>Phew. Made it.<p>

Please Review!

Also, I don't know if I can do 100,000 words... I think 20 chapters is all I can make, and it would take about 55 chapters at my current pace. But thank you for supporting me as I tried! :)


	17. Chapter Sixteen: Suppressed Sorrows

**Silent Heartbeat **

**Chapter Sixteen: Supressed Sorrows**

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><p>As Hibari walked, he leaned against his father, holding Hibird's cage in his arms. His entire body felt sore, and he could truly feel the pain throughout when he remembered just who had dealt him such a beating. The insulting words rang in his head, making it pound with heartache.<p>

'You were much less of a bother to me when you were dying!'

A vivid recollection of Mukuro's voice echoed in his ears, making and he held on to Hibird's cage a little tighter, giving a slight tremble as the sadistic, mismatched eyes flashed in his vision. The eyes that could stike fear into any poor soul who looked upon them. The cold, piercing mismatched gaze of Mukuro Rokudo.

"You okay, son?" Mr. Hibari asked, placing his arm around his son's shoulders. Kyoya nodded, but he couldn't keep the tears from making their way into his eyes. His father's comforting touch couldn't erase the physical and emotional pain that had built up inside him. Flickers of hope died out easily in the face of being so easily injured. Hibari was beginning to feel like his entire body was made of glass.

"He was my friend...," the prefect whimpered. "He betrayed me... he hurt me..." Those were just some of the sorrowful thoughts that crossed his mind, practically tearing his heart in half. A distant voice began to speak its piece, and Hibari trembled when he heard the negative words that had suddenly baragged his mind.

You're all alone, Kyoya, nobody loves you! You're all alone! Worthless! Without love, you would be an empty shell of a man. You can't be human if you can't have it! You're useless! Loveless!

That voice sounded... unusually familiar. Suddenly, Hibari could recognize the self-beating he was being dealt. Sadness... lonliness. Suddenly, the image of himself, weak, beaten, with the unforgettable hollow eyes- the image of a Hibari Kyoya overtaken by his deep depression- was as visible as the dark bruises that currently decorated his pale skin. He was reaching out for help, trying to be felt. If an emotion had emotions, sadness was as emotional as he could be, as one who seeked to be felt among the more welcoming emotions. It's hard to fit in when nobody likes you, so imagine what it must've been like for an emotion that people often hid, were ashamed of. But Hibari, having now some experience in this field, knew exactly what to do with his emotions.

"I may be upset about losing Mukuro's kindness, but it's not over yet. I have Hibird back, I have my father. There are people in this world who would mourn my death. I'm loved. I'm needed. I'm here." Mr. Hibari watched as his son spoke to himself, looking a bit impressed by the self-esteem Kyoya was building for himself. "I'm strong. I'm talented. I'm sensitive. I'm a beautiful man, and I need to learn to respect that."

You're loved, Kyoya, you're never alone, because you are surrounded by people who care about you.

'Comfort' was one of his personal favorites.

"I love you, Father," Hibari said, looking up into the older man's eyes and attempting a genuine smile. Mr. Hibari chuckled, and patted his son on the shoulder.

"I love you too, son," he replied. "Do me a favor, and don't forget that."

Kyoya nodded, and the two headed off towards their house, at which they soon arrived. The prefect set down Hibird's cage, and looked around the ravaged home, suppressing his sadness to remember that it was just a place.

It's okay. You have more than less fortunate people.

"All right, son, we're going to need to clean up a lot around here. It looks like the fire was put out with not too much hassle, and you and I both know that we had a lot of metallic furniture," Mr. Hibari began. Kyoya nodded. They needed metal chairs and tables- otherwise, the most of their furniture would be busted up in a few days.

"We should... pay our respects to Raiden," the prefect suggested.

To his suprise, his father answered, "Absolutely not. We're cleaning up first."

Kyoya paused, confused, before it dawned on him. What his father was saying was... no more tears would be shed in the Hibari household that night. But that idea was soon killed, for a tap on the roof made both Hibaris look up. More came, and when they glanced out of a broken window, they saw that it was raining. Hard.

"All right, its September, figures there would be a little rain," Mr. Hibari sighed, going to get a pail for a leak in the roof. Suddenly, Hibari looked to see Hibird fluttering wildly in his cage.

"Hibari! Hibari! Otush, otush!"

"Otush...," Hibari repeated awkwardly. "What the..."

_"Otus!"_ Hibird answered.

Kyoya took a moment, then shook his head, and went to close the back door, which had just barely survived the fire. Then, just as he began walking back towards what had been his room, his phone rang. He was starting to notice that a lot more people wanted to talk to him lately. "Hello?"

("Oh, thank god I got a hold of you, Hibari-san! Are you all right?")

"Tsunayoshi?" the prefect wondered aloud.

("Yeah, Mukuro just came by to boast about what he did to you... that bastard... I don't know what I saw in him. Seriously, are you okay?")

Hibari smiled. "Well, I'm alive, and that's what counts. He could've killed me if he wanted to."

("I'm sorry...")

"It's okay," Hibari replied. "You didn't mean me that kind of harm, so..."

("Well... I was a little jealous when I saw you and Mukuro at the hospital... but...")

"Were you?" the prefect questioned, his lips quirking up into a smirk. "I thought you were straight."

("Haha... well... uh... yeah, but... I don't know, okay? It's complicated. How are you and Dino?")

Immediately, those indecent thoughts slipped into Hibari's mind, and he blushed. "That's... a question that has yet to be answered," he replied. There was a pause, and then Kyoya said, "I'm sorry, I have to help my dad clean up the house, so..."

("Oh! Okay, sorry. Bye!")

"Bye," the prefect returned, before closing his phone. Suddenly, he realized something. Did he just refer to his father as... 'dad'?

"Kyoya. I'm going out, okay? Going to get supplies to help us clean this place up, because the most important part of the broom is now part of the mess," Mr. Hibari said, buttoning up a coat and putting on the hood. "See you later."

"Bye, father!" Hibari called, before looking back at Hibird, who had started chirping obnoxiously. "What IS it, Hibird?" he said, kneeling down beside the cage. Hibird rattled a bar with his small feet, then fluttered around the cage and did it again to the same bar.

"Dainja! Dainja! Otush, otush!" he tweeted, before locking his beak around the bars and shaking it more as though he desperately wanted out of his cage.

Hibari finally unlocked the cage, and Hibird flew out, and over to the door just as Hibari's father closed it. "Out!" Hibird screeched. _"Out!"_

"No, Hibird, stay in here," Hibari said, "it's raining outside..."

_"Out! Out!"_ the bird repeated, before flying over to Hibari and hovering in front of him.

_"What?" _Hibari asked._ "What is it?"_ Hibird perched on the prefect's shoulder, then suddenly bit his ear, making the other gasp with pain and grab the fluffy creature, holding him in his hand as he tried to understand Hibird's panic. "Hibird, please," the ravenette sighed. "Just tell me what you need."

_"Out!"_ Hibird cried, struggling in Hibari's hand for the first time. Hibari released Hibird, then sighed as the other fluttered back to the door and perched on the blackened doorknob. Finally, the prefect understood something. He had to follow his bird. He walked up to the door and opened it, and Hibird immediately flew outside and perched on the wall, waiting for Hibari follow his lead. Hibari soon came out as well, holding his jacket over his head, and he followed Hibird along the streets of Namimori, suprised that his bird was taking a fairly slow pace- although that may have been due to the heavy rainfall. He followed the yellow animal for a long time, gradually losing familiarity with the place. But then, suddenly...

"Otush, otush!"

Hibari looked up, and stopped dead in his tracks. Hibird had perched in someone's head, and that person laughed quietly as the bird shook himself off. "Why hello, Kyoya and friend. Need something?"

It was that damned Dino Cavallone again.

**-End Chapter**

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><p>If this thing ends at 18, go ahead and get mad with me, because at least I'm maintaining chapter length... I'm just more or less out of ideas, and ready to wrap this up- even though it's such a GORGEOUS fic. :)<p>

Please... REVIE~EW!


	18. Chapter Seventeen: Overpowering Lust

**Silent Heartbeat **

**Chapter Seventeen: Overpowering Lust**

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><p><em>"Otush, otush!"<em>

_Hibari looked up, and stopped dead in his tracks. Hibird had perched in someone's head, and that person laughed quietly as the bird shook himself off. "Why hello, Kyoya and friend. Need something?"_

_It was that damned Dino Cavallone again._

Hibari snorted and looked away. "Hibird, what are you playing at?" he muttered, trying not to let his mind wander.

"Otush, otush!" the bird chirruped.

Dino laughed, and took off his coat, before placing it on Hibari's shoulders. "C'mon, Kyoya, you'll catch a cold wandering out here without at least an umbrella..."

"Why do you care?" the prefect snapped, permitting himself to a slight blush as he felt the older man's jacket clinging to his wet shoulders.

"Because I love you," Dino answered quite clearly, his caramel eyes soft as he patted the other's head.

"I already have a jacket, you should-," Hibari interrupted himself with a small whimper when he was pulled close, so close that he brushed against Dino's body as he stumbled. He looked over his shoulder, and his face flushed a darker shade when his eyes followed the tattoo on Dino's neck all the way down to his hand. He had to admit, that thing was really erotic. But when that thought crossed his mind, all he could think of was that night, and whether he had done to that thing as he was imagining right now. He trembled, then suddenly hugged the older man, burying his head in Dino's chest. "If you love me, why didn't you show up for that date...?"

"It was urgent business. I'm sorry."

"And at Take Sushi's?"

"You got the wrong time..."

"... What did we do in that place?"

"Hm? Well... you were really upset about what happened at your place... so I took you back to my apartment, and I tried to comfort you. You were clinging to me like a child, Kyoya, that was just so adorable. Hehe~. But anyway, you fell asleep after a while, and you never lost your grip on me. I guess I kind of fell asleep next to you after a bit."

Hibari fell silent, but didn't relax his embrace, instead made it a little stronger. Somehow... he knew that he and Dino hadn't gone all the way... it just didn't add up to begin with. "But... that place didn't look like an apartment!" he protested, tears making their way to his eyes even though he didn't feel sad. This was a new feeling. He felt warm and fluffy inside, so much so that it was overwhelming him.

"Heh. You know how Mafia are..."

_Yes._

_Yes, Kyoya, you do know._

_Tell him everything... give him everything, Kyoya, you're in love! Can you believe it... he returns your feelings, too!_

"Dino... I...!"

"Otush, otush!" Hibird tweeted at just the wrong moment, taking a piece of Dino's hair and yanking on it. Cavallone winced, then nervously laughed it off, but whimpered when Hibird didn't let up. "Otush! _OTUSH!"_

"Oh!" Dino said. "Are you possibly... talking about that lotus flower I found the other day...? Well... I don't know how YOU know about it, but I'll show you, so please let go..."

Hibird obediently dropped the strand of hair and started singing the Namimori anthem, so Dino grinned, reaching for Hibari's hand as he began to walk away. "We can discuss that later. I'll go bald if I don't lead Hibird to that flower, it seems."

Hibari squeezed Dino's hand and let the tears hanging in his eyes fall, deciding that he'd pass it off as rain if he asked about it. He desperately needed to share his feelings with the bronco- they were starting to bottle up inside him, and he felt that if he didn't tell Dino how he felt soon enough, one of their feelings would be lost.

"I love you," Hibari whispered.

"Hm?"

"Nothing."

Just letting the phrase slip through him made him tremble with wonder. Dino had said that he loved him, but... everything was still so blurry.

_You need that man, Kyoya. You can't let him go- not ever. Take him... before it's too late! Make him yours! Sweep him away from every rival... absorb the love that you need to survive!_

_Don't try to control him... he's a wild stallion, Kyoya, you have to let him go with his heart..._

_Yes, he's a wild stallion, who say's he'll stay nicely in one place? You need to rope him and keep him where the world will never discover him..._

"I need you..."

_Everything is a blur of excitement as that bronco gallops circles around you. Get him, Kyoya! Don't let him get away!_

_Let Dino be Dino... that's the way to prolong the relationship..._

_If you don't take him now, someone else will!_

"I want you..."

"Kyoya?"

"And I'm not going to let you get away from me!" Hibari hissed, grabbing Dino's shoulders and yanking him down so that he could kiss him. Their lips crashed together, and the prefect gasped with suprise. Things were going better than he'd hoped. The prefect kissed Dino with high passion and fierocity, making it sloppy and a little painful as he struggled to dominate over the bronco. No emotions were going to get in the way of him taking control. Nothing was going to stop him from taking what he deserved.

But when he closed his eyes, he could see what he was doing. He was desperate, trying to force out the attention he needed. He was frantically trying to get love from Dino in a way that almost frightened him because it was so foreign. He'd never even gotten close to this kind of emotion now, but now that he felt it, he couldn't handle it. The feeling was like a burst of adrenaline, keeping his hold on Dino strong, and his kiss open-mouthed. He couldn't help himself- he couldn't stop himself from kissing the bronco in such a fierce way.

And then, Dino screwed everything up. Just as Hibari was about to name that strong feeling, Dino broke the kiss and gasped out the prefect's name in a voice that made him want to claim more. He instantly pounced on the blonde, and dug his fingers into the other's shirt. Dino was his. All his. _Nobody else's._

"Hibari, Hibari! Dino, Dino! Otush!" Hibird screeched, fluttering up to the prefect and scratching up his cheek with tiny little talons. "Dainja! Dainja!"

Dino pushed Hibari back, his face redder than the prefect had ever seen it before. "Kyoya... I... and then that... and..."

Hibari smirked when he heard that the older man was panting, then rested his head on Dino's shoulder, and hugged him tightly. "I love you. I need you. I want you. And I'm never going to let you leave me."

"Kyoya... I love you too..."

"OTUSH!" Hibird demanded, now stomping on Hibari's shoulder like an Angry Bird. _"OTUSH!"_

Suddenly, the prefect felt faint, and he closed his eyes, losing his conciousness. Something had gone terribly wrong.

* * *

><p>"Time's up, Kyoya. Hehe..."<p>

"Where... where am I...?"

Hibari opened his eyes, and saw once again that girl standing before him. "You foolish, foolish fool," she laughed. "Did I forget to tell you? I don't like it when my victims start to feel lust. But now that you have... time's really taken its toll on you."

"I still have a few months!" Hibari protested.

"Ha! Yeah, sure. It's such a shame, you were so close. Your bird could've saved you, but not any more..."

Hibari vaguely remembered Dino saying something about a lotus flower, and he remembered what his father had read him.

_"Oh, unless... unless they... find an ultra rare lotus blossom with twenty petals and a light pink color that emits a light purple glow on rainy, autumn nights, and burn it over a bed of roses, inhaling some of the smoke, before the year is up. Ah, this is impossible, Kyoya!"_

"No...," he breathed.

"Yes! The one you loved had the flower that could've saved your life! Hibari Kyoya, you are a fool! You will die without anyone, all because of your lust!"

Hibari cried. "Don't do this... please, I finally found happiness! I found a man who loves me! I've changed!"

"As if! Hibari Kyoya, you will never experience true love. That man is handsome, and nice. He shouldn't be wasted on a dirtbag like you, don't you see? He's the boss of the Cavallone Mafia family, for pete's sake! He's a pure-hearted man!"

Hibari dropped to his knees and clasped his hands together, trying to suppress the sorrow that had gripped his heart, threatening to pierce it and release it from its prison. "I need him! Without him... I'll... I'll...!"

"You'll what? Die? That's the idea, Hibari Kyoya!"

Hibari closed his eyes tightly. "I... love him..." As he said that, a tight pain sliced through his chest, as though he were tearing himself apart. "I love him!" he cried. "I don't care about pride! I don't care about dignity! If I can't be with Dino... none of it matters, anyway! If I can't have love... I don't care what you do with me! I was lost before I had emotions, and I was cruel... but... but I've really changed!"

As if the chains around his heart had melted, Hibari felt a searing pain in his chest, and he gasped, clawing at the skin where the sting was. "Don't you see, Hibari Kyoya, the world doesn't need men like you. The world doesn't need emotionless, heartless brutes. You're going to die here now, poisoned by your own feelings. Farewell, Hibari Kyoya. You have served your purpose, and it is time for you to return to the earth."

Hibari shook his head. "I can't...," he whimpered. "If I die... Dino... Dino will be sad... and... I don't want to let that happen...!"

_You won't die, Hibari. You can't die!_

_But you will. Tonight._

**-End Chapter**

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><p><strong>Holy hat!<strong> :O We~ell, nearing the end now. Sorry, peppermint twertle. You're ideas were so tempting... maybe I'll use them in another fic. But I DID have Dino explain things.

Please review! Maybe I'll finish this today!


	19. Chapter Eighteen: Burning Love

**Silent Heartbeat **

**Chapter Eighteen: Burning Love**

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><p>Hibari shuddered and clawed at his arm, his body curled into a ball. "I have to live," he panted. "I can't die... not now... not ever... I must... live..."<p>

His cursor was no longer in the area, she had moved on, not needed to see his dead body to achieve salvation. She only had to be sure that he would die, and that was how it seemed things would eventually turn out. The prefect clenched his teeth, reaching and drawing his palm down his bare chest, groaning quietly when he felt how hot the skin beneath was. It certainly felt as though he was being poisoned- deep inside him, his emotions were running amok, and when he tried to soothe them, they only rebelled against his body. Pain unlike any other ravaged his core, as though his bruised, broken soul was going to recieve no mercy as it was shredded. He could hardly withstand being awake for the fire of his heart, but in truth, there was no choice but to do so. If he were to sleep, he would die. If he were to close his eyes for even a second, everything would crumple and turn to ash within him, just like his home and family.

One couldn't help but wonder if death was for the best. He had lost his mother and siblings, been rejected by people who he wanted to hang out with... been beaten senseless and hit by a car- it seemed as though life didn't want him, so why not welcome death?

_Why?_

Dino Cavallone. That's why. Even as he lied there, tortured, he knew that he would never be able to give up when that man was on the line. Dino was the first man to ever reach out to him, the first man to show him kindness. He was a damn good rival, too, when it came to strength. Not to mention, he was... perfect. Hibari thought of every fine detail; the silky blonde hair; the warm, caramel eyes; the dark tattoo that ran down across his body; the skin that stretched beautifully over his toned frame; everything was _perfect_, even by Hibari's standards. Not to mention how those amazing lips molded perfectly into Hibari's own, then how they parted to give the prefect a tongued experience like no other.

_Love is stronger than anything in the world... right?_

_So you can pull through this with your love, right?_

_No._

Hibari knew perfectly well that his feelings were contaminated. Ever since he started to get beaten at school, those emotions started to sink lower and lower into his mind, and because of their brief, but sure disappearance, the return of those feelings left him fearful and hurt. Within the time from then to now, however, Hibari had realized the importance of having them, and embraced the positive emotions with open arms. Although... the feelings were no longer 'pure' as they had been when he was a child.

_But... if they were pure then... your feelings for Dino should still be the same! Even as a child... you loved him, right, Kyoya?_

_Yes... but..._

Everything was still so confusing for the Head Prefect of Namimori Middle school.

Hibari suddenly groaned, and rolled over. The pain inside him had gone to a new level, for now, the fire inside him had spread to his arms and legs, giving an electric jolt as he moved.

_Endure it, Kyoya! Endure the pain! You can withstand it if it means being with him, right?_

Hibari chuckled dryly at his own inner voice. He knew he could take pain for Dino. Dino was the one who resurrected him from sleeping in emotionless slumber. Before he had been reawakened, he was a living doll, a robot, composed of nothing but strength and an endless need to pursue it. Bloodlust overwhelmed him, fooling him into thinking that he would achieve happiness if he managed to defeat all of his enemies. It was so fake that it made the current Hibari wince in disgust with himself.

"Maybe I do deserve this," he sighed. "Maybe I should die to atone for my sinful actions."

"No way, son, didn't I tell you? I'm going to give you a heart if it kills me!"

Hibari looked up, and saw his father, standing before him. "Father- wha- what are you doing here?" he asked, sitting upright regardless of the pain. The older man shook his head.

"This is just a resting point. Beyond is where I'm headed- I can't turn back anymore."

"What are you saying?" Kyoya whispered, his gray eyes wide with shock and horror.

"Kyoya, there's been a terrible mistake. Y'know, we don't exactly have the most popular family..."

"What happened to you?" the prefect pressed, unable to feel the physical pain now because of the emotional hurting deep inside his chest. The man turned, and Kyoya saw a bludgened hole in the back of his head, and blood that had streamed down his back. "Father... no...," he cried. "There's no way, you're...!"

"M'sorry, son," Mr. Hibari breathed, turning and kneeling down beside the young man, before pressing his lips to Kyoya's forehead. "You're a good boy, Kyoya... I'm so proud of you..."

The prefect buried his head in the older man's chest, sobbing like a child. "Please... please, no...," he whimpered. "You can't be... you_ can't...!"_

"I love you, Kyoya..."

"I love you too, father!" Kyoya wailed. "Don't leave me!"

"Good boy... good boy... always follow your heart... there's a man out there who needs you, so... do your old man a favor. _Live_."

"I... I can't!" the prefect sniffled as he looked up. Soft, metallic gray eyes met his own, and he blinked, trembling. "You're... serious...?"

"Heh, dead serious," the other murmured. "I need to go soon. Kyoya, all you need to do is wait. Dino Cavallone will give you life. Understand?"  
>"H-how...?" Kyoya asked, his voice broken.<p>

"Just wait for it, boy... now, let me say my piece before I move on. I'm sorry. For everything I've done to you throughout your life, whether it was rejecting your sexuality, or beating you into submission, I'm sorry. All right, son? This is where I leave you."

"I've always forgiven you for that, father," the prefect cried. "I would never hold that against you... please... stay... don't go..."

The man placed another tender kiss on his son's cheek. "I won't leave you, Kyoya. Don't worry," he murmured. "I'll always stand by your side... unless you don't want me."

With that, Mr. Hibari stood, and invited his son to do the same. Kyoya shook his head. He couldn't. Even though his physical pain was null, it was present. "Father... I... I'm going to miss you," Kyoya breathed.

"Don't worry about me, son... just live... never give in to something so trivial as the wish of the enemy. Find happiness, Kyoya, even if you must do so without me."

A bright glow enveloped the older man, before he began to dissipate, closing his eyes as he did so. Kyoya watched, then clutched his chest, letting an angered shout of agony flow past his lips before he broke down, fisting the ground below as he struggled to maintain his sanity. Everything seemed hopeless. Everyone was gone. Why did life have to strip him of everything near and dear to him? Would he never be able to withstand it?

But then, just as Hibari was about to give up all hope, he heard a voice, breaking through the deafening silence, reaching him and him alone.

_"Hibari Kyoya, come back to me!"_

Dino.

That was all he had left.

Suddenly, Hibari could breath. He could feel. He could see. Before him lied a man, his head buried in the prefect's chest as he wetted Kyoya with tears. The prefect reached out, and his fingers weaved in to the beautiful blonde hair, caressing it like he would a small animal. "I'm here," he whispered. "I'm alive. Don't cry, Dino..."

The man looked up, and his soft, golden brown eyes were filled with hope. "Kyoya...?"

"I'm here," Hibari murmured. "It's okay..."

"Oh, Kyoya," Dino cried, hugging the prefect tightly. "Kyoya!"

"Shh... I love you, Dino... I really love you... so... don't worry... I'm here..."

Even though he didn't know when it started that he could comfort Dino, Hibari rubbed the other's back, knowing that Dino must've been experiencing something unbearable in order to cry in front of him. After all, Dino was always a sort of strong figure for him. It just didn't seem right for him to be crying.

"Kyoya...," Dino breathed, looking up. "They just told me... about your father... that he was... so I thought that maybe... there was some... connection or something... you collapsed at the exact moment when the bullet pierced his skull."

"Don't worry," Hibari repeated, "he's... in a better place now. And now it's all over. You and I can live together in happiness, Dino."

The Italian man gave a nod, and wiped at his eyes. "Haha... look at me... crying like this... I was so worried about you..."

"Hibari! Hibari!"

Dino opened the window beside the prefect, and Hibird flew in, holding a lotus flower in his beak. The flower glowed dimly, and Hibari glanced in to the dark sky outside to see that it was still raining. This was _the_ flower. Hibari smiled, and rubbed Hibird's head with two fingers. "Good job, Hibird, but... I don't think I'll need that anymore." Hibird placed the flower on the prefect's chest, and hopped over to his shoulder, before sitting down to rest. "Can we go home, soon? Or... to your apartment?

Dino nodded. "Yeah. I'll take you home soon... just... let's wait for the rain to settle down."

Hibari sank down in the hospital bed, holding Dino's hand in his own, and smiled. He was _alive_.

Hibari Kyoya was a complicated man.

Once bound to life by emotions, he became the unpopular child at school, and was often picked on. His parents never seemed to show any affection, and by the time his twin brothers came into the world, he was already an expressionless shell of what he used to be. But once awakened from his slumber, Hibari Kyoya became a man capable of love as pure as the soul that had once been buried within him. Even though he'd brought eternal sleep to countless people, the death of his father filled him with regret to the thought of his current past. Hibari could then recognize how selfish he'd been through his life, and see his ignorance. However, he soon was able to overcome all his fear of love, and he then began a life with a man who loved him.

Hibari Kyoya had found it.

He was happy.

-**Kamikorowari.**

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><p>:'( N'aw, man, killing Hibari's father, I'm so mean...<p>

Anyway, I used that 'kamikorowari' in TSATC, too. :P

Hope everyone enjoyed the ending! I can almost ensure more D18 fics in the future!

Please review!


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